In a lion's den
by TheSillyFrog
Summary: It is no secret that when the Sorting Hat was placed on Bellatrix Black’s head she was instantly sorted into Slytherin. But what if she had been placed in a very different House instead? What would have happened had Bellatrix been a Gryffindor?
1. A most unfortunate surprise

_Hello everybody! Here's another story from the Silly Frog! This one's going to be a multi-chaptered fic...a pretty long one actually. So before you start reading it, i'd like to give a big thanks to my beta reader xoxLewrahxox for all the great help! She'll be making sure i don't screw this up :p _

_Playlist? : Les avions en papier by Bruno Coulais...well anything from Les Choristes really. Going through a french movie obsession again :P But honestly...is there anything sweeter then those little kids? Especially Morhange. Ok i'm off topic again..._

_I do not own Harry Potter._

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"_All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning." – Albert Camus_

_In a lion's den_

_1: A most unfortunate surprise_

_By The Silly Frog_

September the first had finally arrived, and with it came a cool autumn breeze announcing yet another cold and bitter winter. The breeze swept the platform's floor causing everyone to shiver and pull their cloaks tighter around themselves. It was a grey day; the clouds were forming a tight barricade over London with only the strongest of sun rays breaking an entrance. Unfortunately, the sun was no match for combined force of the breeze and the clouds. All hope for one last summer day died quickly that morning. However, this was of little concern to the hundreds of students who occupied the platform, eagerly awaiting the time to embark onto a year of extraordinary discoveries and experiences.

Amongst the crowd of people, waited one particularly small muggle-born girl called Sarah, who stared about her in awe whilst her parents stood nearby, conversing with their neighbors whom they would never have expected to be, in fact, a witch and a wizard. As Sarah waited, she could not help but eavesdrop on the conversation of a tall woman with white-blond hair tied in a tight bun and a little boy who was most likely her son.

"Yes Cygnus had done himself well… Apparently, his eldest daughter Bellatrix Black, will be attending her first year at Hogwarts. They say she's brilliant, that one. The finest Black in centuries." She craned her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of the aforementioned girl.

"You will do well to keep her in mind, at Hogwarts, Lucius, dear. She'll definitely be worth befriending."

Shortly after, little Sarah hurried over to another muggle-born girl she'd met earlier that day.

"Hey…have you heard of Bellatrix Black?" She asked excitedly.

"No. Who's she?"

"Well…" She paused for dramatic effect, glad that she, too, finally knew some things about the wizarding world.

"Bellatrix Black is brilliant, they say. The finest Black in centuries…She's also going to be my new friend!"

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'_This is it' _Bellatrix thought, staring up at the scarlet steam engine with determination. _'My chance to shine.'_

And she knew that she would. She wasn't named after a star for nothing. She was brilliant. She was the most talented and promising Black girl to have ever been born. Everyone knew it; even some of the filthy mudbloods knew of her name already. Yes, this would be Bellatrix's year. She could just feel that something extraordinary was about to happen.

The other students hurried around her. She had the impression that she was the only one who froze at the sight of the train as life continued to speed on, without her. Was she the only one to whom Hogwarts meant so much more then just a school? Was she the only one who thought of this train as the crossing point from her life in the shadows of the House of Black and into a new arena where only the strongest would prevail and have their names forever remembered? She hoped her name would. She did not want to remain the pretty Black girl forever. She did not want to be married off and live a life of submission, like her mother. She did not want to let out all her anger and boredom on her children as they cowered and wondered what they'd done wrong...

"Bella!"

Time began to move again. Everything rushed back into order and Bellatrix was propelled into the present, blinking as her mother called her name impatiently.

"Yes mother?" Bellatrix hissed, glaring up at her mother's pointed face.

"Don't you _dare _take that tone with me, Bellatrix Black!"

She instantly dropped her eyes, instinctively falling back into her dutifully daughter role as some of the other parents stared at them curiously.

"Forgive me mother...I'm just very tired." She muttered, glaring at her new shoes.

"Yes well I am tired of your attitude." Druella replied. "But I have to go now...Cygnus is waiting for me to go to that minister's party. You should be alright finding somebody to sit with. Evan is supposed to be here somewhere." She glanced around, eyes searching the countless students for her nephew.

"I'll find him." Bellatrix assured her, eager to get rid of her.

Druella seemed to catch the keenness in her voice because her cold black eyes narrowed.

"I'm warning you now...don't disappoint us. Only speak to those worthy of your attention and excel in _everything_. You must be at the top."

Bellatrix nodded quickly, nervously assuring her that she would not let her down. Druella did not know of the sinking feeling in her daughter's gut at the thought of making them proud. She would never know of the terrible fear she had of being a disappointment.

They exchanged quick pecks on both cheeks and Druella was gone, abandoning her eldest child in a sea of nameless faces with her large and heavy trunk and an owl.

Ten minutes to eleven... and no sign of Evan. Bellatrix silently cursed him, glancing around anxiously. She hated to admit it, but she really didn't want to have to sit with complete strangers on her first trip to Hogwarts. She wanted to look like she already had all the friends she could ever want...

She looked around, inspecting the other students that would soon walk the halls of Hogwarts with her. Some of them were already wearing their Hogwarts robes and she felt a jump of excitement whenever she saw a flash of a green and silver tie. Soon she would join them and proudly wear the House colors. Everybody knew that she would be placed into Slytherin. It only made sense seeing as she was the greatest witch of her year and Slytherin only accepted the greatest. Not to mention that she would be furious if she were to be placed anywhere else.

Bellatrix stood on the tip of her toes and craned her neck, desperately searching for that familiar handsome face amongst the ordinary ones. But Evan Rosier was nowhere to be seen. He'd promised he would look out for her when she arrived. What if he decided to ditch her for somebody else? What if he was already in his cabin, surrounded by newly made friends whilst she remained by herself on the platform?

With a sigh, Bellatrix sat on her trunk and sulked in silence, stroking the black lustrous feathers of her owl through the bars. She loved her owl very much. It had been a birthday gift from her uncle for her eleventh birthday. She was a beautiful black-feathered owl that was supposed to be exceedingly rare. She named her Kira which meant 'Black'. She found it a highly appropriate name.

"I'll make friends...won't I, Kira?" She asked the bird who simply stared back with large yellow eyes.

"Talking to yourself Bella?" Came a mocking voice behind her.

Much to Bellatrix's embarrassment, she gave out a cry of surprise as she leapt up, causing her trunk and her owl cage toppling over. The angry owl's shrieks and numerous stares did nothing to help the crimson blush spreading across her cheeks.

"Evan Rosier, you idiot!" She snarled, hurrying to place her cage in its upright position.

Before her stood her handsome cousin; Evan Rosier, his messy light brown hair falling into his hazelnut eyes, shining with wit and defiance.

"Nice to see you so grown up Bella. Stopped talking to your dolls and moved on to your owl I see?" He teased.

"I _never _spoke to my dolls!" Bella cried angrily as she took a step closer, staring him straight in the eyes. Now if only she hadn't been a head shorter, she might have had more impact...

"I never even had _dolls_!" She added furiously when he continued to laugh.

"And. Where. Were. You?" She asked, finishing each word with a punch to his chest. Evan wasn't impressed.

"Is that all you can manage Black? A strapping young lad like yourself?"

"I am not a boy!" Bella cried out in frustration. "And you just wait until I learn some powerful hexes!"

Evan laughed even harder and lifted up her trunk for her seeing as his was already on the train.

"Don't you be getting into too much trouble now, Bella." He said as they started fighting their way through the crowd towards the train.

"I don't think ickle wittle Bellakins could defend herself against those big meany Gwyffindors." He said in a mocking baby voice.

"Liked you'd know." Bella replied, giving up on acting angry and now grinning. "You're in your first year too, I'll have you know! And you don't act so tough when you're at home. Not when big scawy mommy and daddy are there to be mean with ickle wittle Evan." She replied in the same baby voice, as they reached the scarlet train.

Evan's smile died instantly and his hand went unconsciously to the pale bruise on his arm. Bella stuck her tongue out at him victoriously as she boarded the train and he followed in her wake.

The train ride was a long one. Evan and Bellatrix got an entire cabin to themselves. It would seem that the other first year students were either too scared of them or already had a cabin full of friends. So the two cousins laughed and bickered the entire way, both refusing to admit how nervous they actually were. They both pretended that they knew everything there was to be expected at Hogwarts when really, their parents had barely told them anything except that they had to be in Slytherin.

It was night when the train came to a halt. Bellatrix could feel her heartbeat increase rapidly as she peered out of the window, trying to catch a glimpse at the infamous castle that would serve as her home for the next seven years…

"Firs' years over here please! Over here!"

Bellatrix and Evan pushed their way through the crowd, following the booming voice until they stood in front of a huge man with a large wild brown beard and hair and beady black eyes. The giant man beamed down at the group of first years.

"Are y'all 'ere then? One, two, three…er right! Y'all 'ere! Well then…Welcome to Hogwarts!"

Bellatrix stared at him in disbelief. Could such an idiot truly be in charge of the first years? Everything about him screamed lower-class squib. She glanced at Evan and could practically read what was going on in his mind. She knew he felt the same way towards this terrible man. "Damn I'm freezing." Bellatrix hissed under her breath, rubbing her arms vigorously.

"Well maybe if that fool didn't take so much time, we'd already be in the castle and in sorted into Slytherin by now." Evan added, glaring up at the bearded man with distaste.

"All right! Follow me!" He shouted, waving them towards a passageway that brought them away from the train station and the other students. With an annoyed sigh, Bellatrix followed, shooting Evan a look that told him quite clearly what she thought of the man. But only after a minutes walk, he stopped in tracks so suddenly that the nearest children walked straight into him.

"Oh, I 'aven't introduced meself!" He exclaimed, lightly tapping himself on the forehead.

"Me name's Rubeus Hagrid! Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts." He beamed proudly, as if he had just told them that he had been elected as the next Minister of Magic. The two little first years gazed up at him in disgust, both deciding he was definitely not a pure blood.

Not soon after (though it seemed like hours to the two cousins), Hagrid brought them to the edge of a dark, mirror-like lake, where floated a bunch of rickety old wooden boats that they were meant to use in order to reach the castle. Impatient and excited, Bellatrix and Evan hurried to choose what looked like the best boat (although they were all pretty much the same) and glanced around curiously at the other students. They had not expected another first year to join them.

"We don't want you in our boat." Bellatrix sneered at the scrawny boy as he sat down.

"We're supposed to be four." He replied resentfully. "The others ones are all full."

The young witch opened her mouth to tell him that he could swim when Evan cut her off.

"Give him a break, Bella. He's a Lestrange, can't you tell?"

Bellatrix looked back at the boy in surprise and squinted, trying to get in the details of his face in the dim light of the lantern hanging from the front of the boat. He was quite small with what looked like curly brown hair, a long pointed nose and large attractive dark eyes. He didn't look so bad, just a little young. And if he was a Lestrange, then Bellatrix shouldn't disrespect him.

"Sorry about that." She said, sticking out her hand. "My name's Bellatrix Black."

He took it.

"Black? Oh so you're the Black girl my mother was telling me about! Sorry I didn't recognize you in the dark. I'm Rabastan Lestrange."

"I'm Evan Rosier." Bellatrix's cousin said, offering his hand next.

Bellatrix could not help but giggle when she noticed how grown up the two boys were trying to seem as they shook. She fell silent, though, as someone else sat in their boat and it took off on its own, cutting through the water without a sound.

"Hello." The low voice said in the darkness. "My name is Antonin Dolohov."

Three pairs of eyes scrutinized his face to the best of their capabilities in the dimly lit night. Bellatrix instantly decided that Dolohov wasn't nearly as attractive as Rabastan or Rosier. He was tall and scrawny. His fairly long black hair contrasted terribly with his remarkably pale skin. He was definitely not look like the most interesting of boys. Nonetheless, he was a Dolohov...she had to keep that in mind. Her mother told her quite clearly that she was to build good relationships with the other purebloods. So, she decided to give him a chance and overlook first impressions.

"I'm Bellatrix Black." The little witch said proudly, shaking yet another hand. Her two other companions followed her lead and, soon enough, they were all complaining about how many mudbloods there appeared to bein Hogwarts...

The cries of the first years filled the air as Hogwarts castle came gradually into view, taking even Bellatrix's breath away. It was everything she had hoped it would be and more. It was…absolutely perfect. The great dark building towered over the lake, the black water reflecting the hundred flickering lights that shone warmly in every window. Great mountains rose around it, as if protecting the beautiful castle from the eyes of muggle filth and in the far off distance, Bellatrix spotted a large dark mass of what appeared to be trees. Her parents had told her about that forest; it was meant to be forbidden to first year students. The short silhouettes of the last of the older students could be spotted, filing into the school by two large doors, pouring a welcoming light out onto the stone staircase.

Bellatrix had to remember to close her mouth. She'd heard stories about Hogwarts but she never expected it to be like _this_. Now that she saw it in all its glory, she felt a deep sense of pride and attachment for the school realizing that only this amount of splendor could be worthy of greeting a Black. The castle was just waiting for Bellatrix to explore it, to discover all its secrets. She would rule this school. She would be the _best_. By the end of her first year, Bellatrix would be known throughout the school and everyone would look up to her in awe and wonder…

"It's amazing." She heard Rabastan whisper, pulling her out of her fantasies back into the present.

She glanced behind her shoulder at the others and was pleased to see that they too, had looks of marvel at the sight of_ her_ castle.

The boats finally came to a halt on the shore and the group of eleven-year-olds clambered out, some in excitement and others in anxiety. Bellatrix and her three companions joined the group, impatiently awaiting Hagrid to bring them inside where they would finally be placed in Slytherin. Surely enough, they were guided into the Entrance Hall and greeted by a most-welcomed warmth. The sound of hundreds of excited students could be heard through a pair of door to their right which Bellatrix assumed was the Great Hall. And as the group of shivering first years waited in anticipation, Bellatrix was far away, thinking of how this year would be _her _year.

'Anna Appleton."

A tiny little blond girl made her way to the stool, trembling with fear as a witch placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

Bellatrix stood with the others, curiously staring down at the four long tables as they stared back, some with more interest then others. Occasionally, one big brother or sister would wave at their siblings, encouraging them to not be afraid. Bellatrix thought how funny it seemed that, in two years from know, she would be doing the same for her sister. And Andromeda would beam with pride as Bellatrix Black, the most popular girl in the school, waved at her…

"Bellatrix Black."

A wave of hurried whispers and excited gossip hit her ears, as she made her way over to the stool. She didn't register much of what was being said, for even she was feeling a little nervous as she sat down, in front of hundreds of preying eyes…but only a little. She heard words like; _pureblood, famous, Black _and _Slytherin_. Bellatrix couldn't help but smile nervously at the idea of already having her reputation sorted out before she, herself, had been sorted into her House.

Suddenly, the lights in the Hall went out as the Sorting Hat was placed onto her head.

'_Ah! Bellatrix Black…interesting, how interesting." _It said as it began to analyze her mind.

Bellatrix said nothing. She had nothing to prove. She knew where she'd be placed. It was clear to everyone. So, the young witch simply waited, whilst her mind once again wandered off into that far off future that seemed so appealing.

'_Very good mind, that's for sure…and talent…yes, yes…ah! As expected; the determination to become powerful…strong. But there is also passion inside of you and a particular bravery…and stubbornness, lots of that. Not like your parents now are you? But where to put you? What do you think Bellatrix?"_

Bellatrix sighed impatiently. If he took too long, people would begin to doubt her purity!

'_Just hurry up and sort me, you daft hat!'_

'_Very well then. I just hope I'm making the right choice…'_

It was all Bellatrix could do from getting up right there and then and making her way over to her table, eager to start meeting other purebloods. She nearly did when…

"GRYFFINDOR!"

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_OK well there you have it! Suprised? Hope you liked! Too much work is being put into this fic from both myself and xoxLewrahxox so please review and tell me what you think!! This story won't survive without any encouragement! :p  
lots of love from the silly frog! :D  
-xxx-_


	2. Alone

_Hi everybody! I'm sooooo sorry I haven't posted this chapter yet! It's just that with the beginning of school and all, I haven't had much time to do anything but work...I hate math. Anyways so here's chapter 2! I already have chapter 3, 4 and 5 written so I'll try and have those posted as soon as possible! Don't lose hope in me! There isn't lots of action in chapter 2 because it's mostly focused on Bellatrix's reaction following the sorting. Anyways I really hope you enjoy it!_

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

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"_You ain't gonna leave me, are ya' George? I know you ain't!" Of mice and men_

_In a lion's den_

_2: Alone_

_By The silly frog_

For a moment, she wasn't sure she had heard probably. Had there ever been a 'G' in Slytherin? No that didn't make sense... And then it struck her, like falling into ice-cold water. For a moment, she thought she was drowning, her mind deprived of air and her lungs filling with water, slowly killing her as she panicked, unable to call out. She felt her heart plummet into her stomach, feeling a painful hole where it had once been and her mind freeze in that moment of realization.

'_No...'_

She couldn't move. There must have been some mistake. Why wasn't the Headmaster reacting? Why didn't he smile and assure her that the Hat was getting old and maybe they should just start sorting students by their purity? Why didn't Evan start laughing, telling her it was all just a joke? _What was going on?_

The clapping began; weak and uncertain. In rang in her ears but she couldn't make any sense of it. And then it began…a rhythm that Bellatrix could hear so apparent amidst the clapping. It grew louder and louder, ringing true.

_You_. Clap. _Are_. Clap. _A_. Clap. _Failure_. Clap.

A failure…as in not sorted into the House she belongs in. A failure as in a major disappointment to her parents. A failure…

"Miss Black...Miss Black go sit at your House table."

Bellatrix was only distantly aware of the voice but she reacted nonetheless, working on instinct. She turned and looked back at the witch, whose face showed bewilderment as she ushered her off the podium. She stumbled down the stairs, wide eyes turning towards the four long tables, who stared back at her with the very same expressions of shock on their faces. They had stopped clapping.

It was too silent. Bellatrix would have preferred having them all ignoring her, talking about their summer holidays as she passed in front of them, unnoticed. Anything was better then this. Anything was better then having to face her own thoughts...having to face reality. She distantly remembered glancing back at the Slytherin table, hesitating. Maybe she could throw a fit? Beg them to place her in Slytherin. Explain that this was just a mistake. But no, she did not. She didn't have enough energy in her to do anything other then continue walking, her footsteps echoing loudly in the Hall. For a moment, her mind remained blank and it took all her force to remember to breathe.

Somehow, she wasn't sure how, she found herself seated at the end of a table, with lots of other people who definitely weren't Slytherins.

Slowly, the whispering began but Bellatrix couldn't hear it.

'_Keep yourself under control, Bella.' _She repeated, over and over again in her mind as she kept her eyes fixed on the Hat that had decided her fate.

She was distantly aware that the sorting had continued...so why hadn't the whispering?

Slowly, Bellatrix came back to herself. The numbing feeling in her body weakened and she began to be aware of her surroundings. She became aware of the glances she was receiving from the other students, the way the Gryffindors inched away from her, their eyes narrowed with dislike, the way the Slytherins whispered to each other, looking disappointed as they glanced at her. Thinking she might be sick if she received any more looks, she turned her attention towards the podium, where the sorting continued as if nothing had happened. Her eyes met Evan's only for a fraction of a second before he was called up and instantly placed in Slytherin. Her heart ached as she watched him walk towards the table of silver and emerald, wishing she could follow him.

When the food appeared in front of her very eyes, her stomach churned and she hastily look away, fearing that she'd throw up at any moment. What would her parents say? What would the House of Black say? Bellatrix had never _ever _heard of a Black being sorted into another House, let alone Gryffindor. The fear of what would happen next was killing her. She remembered her mother's words and shivered. She couldn't disappoint them. She wasn't _allowed_ to. What was she going to do?

"First years follow me please!"

Bellatrix had barely noticed it when the food disappeared and the speeches were finished. She only looked up when the hundreds of students began leaving their places, making their way slowly out of the Great Hall and up into their warm beds. She was swept up into the pack of first year Gryffindors and was pushed and shoved towards the exit, receiving many disgusted looks. Why was it that those looks pained her so much more now that she was forced back into reality? Was it because she should have been the one giving those filthy looks to _them. _Or was it simply because she did not understand why she was receiving them. She hadn't done anything bad to them yet!

As Bellatrix got caught in the traffic of students, all pushing to get out, her eyes met those of Evan Rosier's. He froze, also stuck in the crowd of students. All around him stood the other Slytherin first years, whispering and throwing her glances. She noticed Antonin Dolohov and Rabastan Lestrange, staring at her from afar, eyes narrowed with caution. Feeling desperate and in need of some support, she pushed her way towards her cousin until they were only a few meters apart. He looked at her and she could see how uncertain he was. Seeing the regret and awareness in those two brown eyes made her run blood cold.

"Evan..." She croaked, her voice breaking under the strain of fighting back the tears. She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell him how scared she was, how disappointed and disgusted she was with herself. She wanted him to help her, to laugh it all off and take her hand and tell the others to stop being so mean and...

But he didn't. He was hesitating, his lips slightly parted as if he wanted to say something that simply wouldn't come out.

"Rosier! Come on!" Dolohov called out as their group began to move again, pushing past the Gryffindors roughly.

Evan glanced at her one last time, his eyes shinning with regret and sorrow as he turned his back on her, making his way towards his new friends without a second glance. If it hadn't been for the mind-numbing panic she was feeling she would have broken into tears right there and then.

Bellatrix almost wished she hadn't heard what they said to each other as she walked behind them, suddenly eager to get into her bed and out of this mess.

"You shouldn't be talking to her, Rosier." Anthonin said, unaware that she could hear every word of their conversation.

"She's a Gryffindor now...to think that we'd have to be enemies with a Black." Rabastan added.

"Yeah but she's still my cousin." Evan replied weakly as they finally pushed their way out of the door and into the Entrance Hall.

"You're not actually going to _stay friends _with her?" Another little Slytherin exclaimed.

"Of course not!" Evan gave a weak laugh. "She's a Gryffindor. We're definitely not friends."

Bellatrix was crushed.

xxxxxx

_Dear Mother and Father,_

_Perhaps the dreadful news as already reached you. News seems to travel fast around here. I am absolutely humiliated to tell you that the Sorting Hat has placed me in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin. I do not see how this mistake could have been made but I beg of you to come to Hogwarts and speak with the Headmaster. I am aware that I have embarrassed the family name and am terribly sorry. I did not mean to. I hope you will forgive me._

_Your daughter,_

_Bellatrix Black_

Bellatrix held the parchment away from her, protecting it from the tears of shame and grief. She knew she shouldn't be crying, that it would all be sorted out soon enough and that she was doing nothing for her honor by shedding tears. But they simply would not stop. She felt so alone amongst the Gryffindors. She hated them. She wanted to curse them and tell them that she didn't want to be with them anymore then they did. But she simply couldn't find the strength. She was afraid. She knew that she wouldn't have any help now; not from Rabastan or Evan...maybe not even from her parents.

Bellatrix quickly sealed the letter, not wanting to look at it anymore. She thought that the quicker she sent it the less she would be tempted to not send it at all and hope that her parents never found out. But she knew how silly that was and quickly tied it to Kira's claw, stroking her head with a trembling hand.

"Hurry up Kira." She whispered in a wavering voice.

And with that, the owl spread its large wings and flew out of the window, quickly fading into the black sky.

That night, Bellatrix cried herself to sleep, allowing herself to feel weak and afraid. She knew that come tomorrow, she would once again be that brave strong girl the world expected to see. She knew that she would not be allowed to feel anything that would be considered unworthy of her. But nobody was watching now...nobody would know what she was feeling and thinking. And that was what suited her best because she knew that she would lose all respect, all hope of being loved if they knew...

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_Hope you liked it! Don't forget to review! Reviews encourage me to write faster. And a big thank you to beta reader xoxLewrahxox for all the great help! Next chapter: The Blacks vs. Dumbledore...dum dum dum  
Lots of love from the Silly Frog! :)_


	3. Quarrels

_Ok so first i would like to apologizes for the time it took me to get this posted but school is crazy and i'm coming up to finals soon. Not to mention that my beta reader also has a life and school so...ya. But never fear i'm still alive! Actually i'm going through major writer's block with chapter 6 but hopefully christmas break will give me enough time to fix that. Once again big thanks to xoxLewrahxox and to everybody who takes the time to read this! Lot's of love from the Silly Frog!_

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"_Disappointment to a noble soul is what cold water is to burning metal; it strengthens, tempers, intensifies, but never destroys it.__" – Eliza Tabor_

_In a Lions Den  
__Chapter 3: Quarrels_

"Miss Black....Miss Black wake up now!" Someone was shaking her with impatience. It was slowly the increasing urgencythat pulled her out of her untroubled and happy sleep. The drowsy girl's first thought as she forced herself to leave the comfortable world of dreams was that whoever that person was; Bellatrix would make sure to hate him or her for the rest of her life.

Bellatrix forced her heavy and sleep-encrusted eyes open, mumbling something incoherent as she struggled to sit upright. It was still dark in the room. With one swift glance towards the window, Bellatrix noticed that the sun had barely begun to rise. Only the very tips of the sun's vivacious rays could be seen; a burst of warm colors against the dark night sky, fighting for supremacy. She quickly looked back at the dark silhouette before her, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. The outlines began to clarify that it was the witch from last night, the one who had giving her the Hat. She raked her brain, trying to remember her name.

"What-?

"Miss Black you are to get dressed now and meet me in the Common Room. Your parents have arrived.

Before Bellatrix had time to ask what exactly was going on, the teacher stood up and exited the room, obviously just as displeased with being awake this early in the morning as Bellatrix was. For a short moment, the young witch sat on her bed, completely puzzled. That was when the painful memory of last night hit her with full force and Bellatrix felt herself go cold. _Gryffindor…Gryffindor…Gryffindor… _The word played over and over in her mind as she struggled out of bed and pulled out a nice set of robes. She really was a Gryffindor! It hadn't just been a dream! Bellatrix knew that it was foolish but she couldn't help but hope that she had only had a nightmare. Well no matter…everything would be fine once her parents met with Dumbledore.

'_Yes…Everything is going to be fine.'_

She glanced back at the night sky, allowing herself one last moment of peace before the dreaded meeting. The bright rays of light were slowly creeping further up into the sky, gaining territory on the midnight blue sky. Bellatrix couldn't help but feel irritated as she watched Dawn fight against Night. Why was the sun so special? Why did everyone rejoice every time it rose? Was it for its spirit and splendor? The way it stood out against the pale sky? She could not see what made it so beautiful…To her the moon had always been the beautiful one. There had always been a certain serene magnificence about it. The wise moon knew when it was most important to shine; in the moments of darkness. It knew how to manipulate its surroundings into making itself the only thing worth watching. Yes, the silver moon was definitely far superior to the golden sun...

When Bellatrix was finally dressed and mentally prepared to meet her parents, she ran down to the Common Room where the teacher (whose name she remembered as McGonagall) stood. Her arms were tightly crossed and her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Where are they?" Bellatrix asked, cautiously scanning the room in search of her parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Black are in the Entrance Hall. For some _unknown_ reason, they refused to wait for you in the Gryffindor Common room." McGonagall answered sourly, watching Bellatrix with narrowed eyes.

For a moment, they both stood in silence, carefully evaluating each other. Bellatrix decided quite firmly that she hated this Professor and she was pretty sure that the professor did not harbor very fond feelings for her.

"Well then do not just stand there Miss Black. We're going to see the Headmaster."

Bellatrix snapped into action, brushing past the teacher with her head held high. She climbed out of the hole, and hurried down the corridor. She did not care how far behind McGonagall was, yet by the sound of her heels clicking against the stone floor, it was evident that the professor was close to the young Gryffindor student.

Bellatrix hated to admit it, but she was still afraid- Afraid of what her parents would say. Yet, she knew that everything would be fine and that soon she would be sitting next to Rosier, discussing with her fellows about how disgusted she was with the school, Dumbledore and the silly hat. They would drink up her words, naturally accepting her as the new leader of the new first years Slytherins. All would be forgotten soon enough and she would, once again, be her parents pride and joy. Bellatrix would be perfect once again.

Then she noticed them, standing stiffly in the Entrance Hall, watching her approach them. Displeasure was apparent on their faces. Her eyes made contact with her mother's. She was tall and thin with a stern expression that did nothing for the aging lines which gradually appeared on her face. Surprisingly enough, her father decided to participate in the 'family reunion'. He was tall and proud with his cold black eyes scanning the Hall with mild interest. Bellatrix couldn't remember the last time she had spoken with him properly.

"Mother. Father." She greeted them with a respectful bow of her head.

They did not smile.

"Bellatrix…you are a disappointment." Druella said dryly. "You should be ashamed of yourself for embarrassing your family like this."

Just because Bellatrix had been expecting this, it didn't mean that it didn't hurt any less. It pained her an awful lot, especially when she had sacrificed her entire life in order to please them.

"Forgive me."

"You're lucky I didn't have anything planned." Her father commented. "I would have been strongly displeased if I would have to cancel something of importance."

Bellatrix didn't know what her father would be doing this early in the morning but said nothing. She merely nodded and glanced at McGonagall who looked terribly irritated…almost more than her parents.

"Well then…" Her mother sighed. "Let's get this sorted out.

xxx

"Would anyone like a lemon drop?" The Headmaster offered casually and upon seeing the Blacks disgusted faces added; "No? Well then perhaps some elf-made mead?"

"With all due respect, _Headmaster._" Druella spat in a way that indicated that no respect was, in fact, intended. "All we want is to know why was our daughter sorted into the wrong House?"

Bellatrix nodded in silent agreement.

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose as if he had been pleasantly surprised.

"And what, if I may ask, gives you the impression that Miss Black was sorted into the wrong House?"

The Blacks looked at each other, aghast. Bellatrix noticed how Cygnus turned a shade darker.

'_He's in for it now'_ She thought, unable to keep a smug smile from spreading across her face.

"Listen here." He hissed, leaning forward. "I do not know what you are playing at Dumbledore, but you shouldn't be messing with _us_. Bellatrix cannot have been placed in Gryffindor. Now I suggest that you stop wasting our limited time and place her in Slytherin."

For a minute or so, the room wallowed in silence. Bellatrix was sitting on the edge of her seat in anticipation. She loved it when her parents used their power to get what they wanted.

"Well..." Dumbledore sighed, refusing to react to Cygnus' obvious insults. "There are a few matters to look at first. The primary one being the rule we have when changing a student's House. We only change someone's House in the gravest of situations- which I am sure you will agree this is not." He added the last part quickly when Cygnus opened his mouth angrily in order to interrupt.

"I'm sure Miss Black here will find Gryffindor a most pleasant and welcoming House. I would not be surprised if by the end of this year Miss Black will have accepted her fellow Gryffindors as her family, here at Hogwarts."

The Headmaster fell silent and everyone turned to look at the young girl, awaiting her reply. She glanced at her furious parents and swallowed hard.

"I will never consider Gryffindor as my family. I want to be placed in Slytherin."

McGonagall frowned and pursed her lips, obviously displeased with her newest student. Dumbledore, on the other hand, betrayed no emotion except intrigue.

"Well I am quite surprised by your feelings towards you House seeing as you did not object when the Sorting Hat mentioned it."

"But it didn't mention it! The stupid thing didn't tell me at all where I was going to be placed."

Bellatrix was furious now. How dare he try to put the blame on her?

"Well it gave you pretty accurate hints, I assume. It most likely mentioned all the important traits of a Gryffindor, like, for example, courage and determination…It didn't tell you anything?"

Bellatrix bit her lip and glared at Dumbledore with as much hate as she could muster, which was a lot. Now that she looked back on the situation, the Hat had mentioned a good deal of Gryffindor traits that she had been too busy to notice…Although, she would rather die than admit this to the old man.

"Sometimes, when the Sorting Hat is most uncertain, he will ask you your opinion. I have a feeling that in your case, Miss Black, he would have asked. And my instincts are (forgive me for my lack of modesty) always nearly right. Why did you not protest?"

Bellatrix felt a sickening feeling in her stomach, the one she had been feeling time and time again since last night. _'What do you think Bellatrix?'_ She remembered it asking her! She actually had had a chance to change her fate! But she'd been to busy thinking of her future glory to react!

'_Oh no…'_

Only when she noticed her parent's looks of pure revulsion did she realize that she had just given herself away by the matching expression of surprise and horror she was wearing.

"Bellatrix Black…do you mean to tell us that you _allowed _yourself to be sorted into Gryffindor?" Druella's voice was dangerously low.

Her daughter frantically shook her head, lost for words. How could she possibly explain?

"Well now..." Dumbledore cleared his throat and clasped his hands together with a large smile. "I believe we have solved this problem. Being a Gryffindor can hardly be considered a terrible thing. If you refuse to consider yourself part of your House which you quite fervently have assured me Gryffindor will merely be a place for you to sleep and study. Of course, you will have to wear red and gold which, I am certain, will suit you perfectly Miss Black."

"You _dare_ mock us?" Druella asked, outraged.

Dumbledore gave a soft smile, betraying absolutely no malice. This only frustrated the Blacks more.

"Not at all Madam. Believe me, when I say that is the absolute last thing I would want to do. I am only giving your daughter some words of encouragement."

Bellatrix wasn't quite sure how the fact that red was her color was considered to be encouraging, but she decided not to fall into his trap.

"Being in Gryffindor does not keep you from being friends with the Slytherin students. You can very well meet them anytime of the day. Nobody would be quite so horrid as to judge you on what House you are in."

Now Bellatrix was certain he was provoking her. There was no way that he could not have heard of the rivalry between the Slytherins and Gryffindors. He was only trying to get her to admit the fact that her 'friends' had all ditched her for that exact reason. Perhaps, he was trying to make her understand that the Slytherins weren't the only people worth befriending? Whatever it was, Bellatrix was not buying it. If anything, she was even angrier then she had been before.

"Well then...if Professor McGonagall has nothing to add-" He glanced at the witch who shook her head. "then I will be forced to bid you a goodnight...or good day actually."

He rose from his chair and the Blacks did the same.

"Professor McGonagall will escort you to our Fireplace. It was a pleasure meeting you both."

He held out his hand, his blue eyes twinkling with good will and Bellatrix suddenly had the urge to punch him straight in the face. Her parents stared down at his hand in disgust, as if they couldn't understand how there meeting could have been anything near pleasant.

"You are making very dangerous enemies, Dumbledore." Cygnus hissed angrily.

"Cygnus, you must know by know that I do not respond to threats!" Dumbledore chuckled, letting his hand fall limply to his side and gesturing towards the door, clearly dismissing them.

Cygnus opened his mouth to retort, hesitated, and then spun around and left the office, his wife following closely behind. A trail of shouting and cursing echoed in the halls behind them.

"I'd better go..." McGonagall sighed. "Before they wake up the entire castle." With one last glance at the young witch and the old Headmaster, she left the office, leaving Bellatrix alone and absolutely furious.

"I suggest that you hurry back to your Common room, Miss Black. Everyone will be waking up soon and you do not want to miss breakfast." Dumbledore said, breaking the silence. She wanted to curse him. She wanted to scream and tell him how he'd just ruined her life. Tell him how nobody would speak to her and how she was now the biggest disappointment of her family. Yet, she swallowed her anger and said nothing because a Black never admits their weaknesses. She nodded, lips tightly pressed together and eyes narrowed into a glare, before leaving his office.

xxx

Since yesterday evening, Bellatrix hadn't taken the time to evaluate the Gryffindor Common Room. It was still empty, yet she could hear people walking around upstairs. She stood in silence, taking in the warm-colored circular room with distaste. She was certain that the Slytherin Common room was much better. Better how? She could not say. All she knew was that everything Slytherin was better.

Welcoming the silence, Bellatrix threw herself into one of the chairs nearest to the window and pressed her forehead against the cold glass, watching as her warm breath fogged it up.

Everything was such a mess...She was a Gryffindor. A _Gryffindor_. It was like her worst dream had become a reality. Last night, she had crumbled under the shock and fear but deep at the back of her mind, she'd been almost certain that everything would turn out fine. Now, it would seem everything was lost. All because she had been too stupid to tell the Hat what she truly wanted. All she wanted was to turn back the time and-

"Arthur! Don't frighten the poor girl half-to-death!"

Bellatrix snapped out of her troubled thoughts and looked around to see that the Common room was now occupied. Standing near the stairs was a little girl with blond curly hair and two large books held against her chest. In front of her was a rather tall skinny boy with neatly brushed red hair and round glasses. There was another girl, older then the first, standing on the last step of the staircase leading to the girls dormitories. She had a short round figure with ringlets of red hair framing her pretty round face.

"But surely you must know! Do they put something in the middle part? And what about those wings sticking out of either side? How do those keep it up?"

"I really don't know." The girl insisted, inching towards the door.

"But haven't your parents said something? Surely _they_ know how 'aeroplanes' stay up?"

"Merlin's pants Arthur! Can't you give it a rest? I'm sure you can find all of that out in a book!"

"Yes, but we don't have any muggles books at my house. You know that Molly. So, I just thought that maybe Sarah knew..."

Arthur trailed off when he noticed Bellatrix watching them with her nose scrunched up in disgust.

"Something wrong?" He asked, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"How can you be interested in _that_?"

"In what?" Molly asked with an annoyed edge in her voice.

"In Muggles. Why would you want to waste your time with them? They're all filth. Wait...you're not a mudblood are you?"

Both Molly and Arthur turned fully around to glare at her.

"Don't use that insulting word in front of us! And especially not in front of Sarah."

"What's a Mudblood?" The small first year asked, craning her neck over Molly's shoulder to catch a glimpse at the rather messy-haired and unhappy-looking Bellatrix.

"Why? What's it to you?" The young Black replied with a sneer.

"Just. Don't Use. It." Molly said, turning pink with anger.

"Make me! You. Filthy. Blood. Trai-."

In a flash, Molly had her wand out and had it pointed towards Bellatrix who instantly stood up.

"Go on! What you going to do? You haven't got the guts." She jeered.

It felt nice, letting all her anger out on this complete stranger.

"Molly...Molly calm down." Arthur was mumbling, trying to pull her arm down with little success.

"No! Let me be Arthur!" The red-headed girl said, shaking her arm free. She then turned her attention back on Bellatrix. "You Blacks are all the same!" She exclaimed, not making a move to attack. "With your ridiculous ideas of blood purity! Do you at least know the amount of people you've hurt with your words? You've just arrived here and already you're making everyone miserable! Can't you stop being so bloody pessimistic and angry for a second? Can't you stop hurting other people just so that you can feel _special_? You're all rotten, the lot of you! I wish you'd been sorted into Slytherin like the rest of your kind! We all do! Instead you had to come here and ruin our lives!"

"What? I'm ruining your lives?" Bellatrix shrieked, taking a step forward and trembling with rage. "I'm the one stuck in this pathetic House! I'm the one that has to suffer for being so close to this" She gestured Sarah. "Mudblood scum!"

There was a large bang and both girls jumped back in surprise. Reeling around, Bellatrix found herself face to face with the Gryffindor Prefect (whose name she could not remember). She looked just as angry as Molly did only she was actually trying to keep herself calm.

"Black…" She said, eyes narrowed with caution. "What is the meaning of this?"

Bellatrix knew well what to do in this situation. She made her face go cold and blank and stared back into the Prefect's eyes with no emotion. She'd practiced this face a lot, back at her home. Whenever she was in trouble, it was what kept others from reading her like an open book. It made her feel safe.

"I wasn't doing anything."

"I heard what you said."

"What did you hear?"

The Prefect said nothing, staring her straight in the eyes, measuring her. Bellatrix refused to let her in. So they both stood there, watching each other, evaluating each other's stubbornness. Bellatrix had a feeling that they would have stood there for an awfully long time had it not been for the flock of students hurrying down the staircases to get to the Great Hall for breakfast. Many stopped in their tracks and watched curiously, wondering what the strange Black girl had done already. Not wanting to cause a scene, the Prefect backed off first.

"I'll be keeping an eye on you, Black. I don't want to hear anymore filthy language from you or I'll report you to Professor McGonagall."

"Just try"

xxx

"Sorry, I'm late Professor."

The potion's class was filled with little first years all sitting around small round tables. They were all turned in their chairs to catch a glimpse of the ever-intriguing Bellatrix Black. Their large curious eyes were shinning brightly in the shadowy room. At the front of the class, standing in front of a little pewter cauldron stood Slughorn, the potions professor. He looked fairly ridiculous to Bellatrix with his green velvet vest that was quite obviously too small for him and his long blond walrus-like mustache.

"I must have lost track of the time." She explained, raising her dark eyes to meet his.

The truth was that she simply did not want to go down to breakfast with the others and decided to stay in the common room for a little longer in order to think things over. It was a weak excuse, but at this point, she couldn't care less what this teacher would do to her.

"Not at all my girl!" He exclaimed, much to everyone's surprise. "We all make mistakes on our first day! Now have a seat my dear! Have a seat! I have something very special for you today!"

Bellatrix was slightly taken aback by the warm greeting. It was the first she had received since her arrival and it was well welcomed. Perhaps his vest and his mustache weren't so ridiculous…

As he went to the back of the classroom in search of a jar of eye-of-newt, Bellatrix stood uncomfortably at the back of the classroom, glaring at anyone who dared look at her. Now where to sit? She glanced around the room and noticed a group of silver and emerald ties. She did not know what to feel as she noticed her cousin sitting with Antonin, Rabastan and some other blond Slytherin boy. Could she place words on what it was she was feeling? Perhaps a mix of sorrow, regret and longing. Whatever it was, it was not pleasant and she was eager to get rid of it. So she turned her back on them and allowed her eyes to scan the rest of the room but everywhere she looked, she received cautious glances and angry glares.

"You can sit here if you like."

Bellatrix looked over her shoulder towards the soft voice that came just behind her. The girl had quite a pleasant face; not exceptionally beautiful but there was something in those dark blue eyes that gave off a deeper beauty. Her round face was framed by short light brown hair and sprinkled ever-so lightly with freckles. Bellatrix almost decided that she liked her when her eyes suddenly came in contact with a red and gold tie…

'_Oh…'_

The girl looked at her expectantly as she hovered, hesitating. But where else was she going to sit? No one wanted her at their table and she wasn't to cause a scene by forcing a Slytherin to allow her to sit with him.

"Haven't taken a seat yet Black? Oh I see! Too many places to decide!" Slughorn laughed as he returned with a couple of jars in hand.

Bellatrix gave him a quick nod before throwing herself in the seat next to the brunette, scowling. How she hated this school… The girl gave her a soft smile and held out her hand.

"I'm Alice, by the way."


	4. Quiditch

_Hey people! So guess what? I'm finished the first semester of school which means that I have a month off! Yay for the holidays! So I propose a minute of silence for all those who are currently in a coma after having gone through extensive studying and for those who still aren't finished their exams.....**minute of silence**.....alright! So now that's done back to the story! ENJOY!_

_I do not own Harry Potter._

* * *

"_Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter." ~Carol Bishop Hipps_

_In a lion's den_

_4: Quidditch_

The days crept by as slowly as seemed possible. Slow like the numbered seconds of a mouse's life as it stares into the large glass-like eyes of a snake, knowing without a doubt that the end is coming. The days turned into weeks until one whole month had gone by since the 1st of September. Everything had become so mind-numbingly morose in that short month. Not a single day went by without Bellatrix regretting ever coming to Hogwarts. Everywhere she looked; everywhere she went people recoiled as if she were some sort of three-headed beast. The Gryffindors ignored her, obviously resenting her for ruining their 'fun'. The Slytherins laughed and taunted her. She couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't fight _her_ family. They might not want to admit it and the rest of the school might not know it but Bellatrix was certain that Slytherin was her family. She would just have to work harder then the others in order to be accepted. She was used to working hard and it was the only speck of hope she could see on the horizon. It was the only thing that kept her going; the pride and triumph of proving everyone wrong. But first…she would have to get close to them and that would be quite difficult seeing as they wouldn't let her walk past them without wrinkling their noses in disgust and start calling her names. Good thing Bellatrix had the Gryffindors to let all her anger and frustration out on. She often found ways to fight with them. They didn't get to fight much seeing as she was often threatened with detention, but it still made her feel slightly better whenever a Gryffindor did something worthy of being scolded. The only thing she found irritating when picking a fight was that Gryffindors fought back.

Bellatrix hadn't received any letters from any of her family members yet and she had a feeling that she wouldn't be seeing one anytime soon. She knew that her parents were angry. She wasn't worth their time anymore. A lost cause…that's what they would call her from now on. A _special _case. She could see them now, explaining everything to her family, brushing her off their conscience just as easily as a dead house-elf. She hadn't expected anything else from _them_ but, surprisingly enough, her sisters didn't write either and that hurt much more. She would have thought that they wouldn't judge her on where she was sorted. They'd always looked up to her; loved her… Narcissa and Andromeda were the only reasons why Bellatrix ate breakfast in the Great Hall and put up with the other students. Every morning, while the air was filled with screeching owls, she looked up hoping to see Kira. But she never came and neither did the letters.

Bellatrix hated eating in the Great Hall amongst all the angry glares and prying glances. She felt like an animal trapped in a cage for all the idiotic children to taunt. So she did not go to lunch or supper. She could barely bear the sight of food. Every time, it made her stomach do a flip. She forced herself to eat breakfast if only to keep her energy up and perform well at school but even with breakfast, she was feeling increasingly tired. Sometimes, in the evening, Alice would bring her up some food wrapped in a napkin.

Ah Alice…now she was another story altogether. Out of all the Gryffindors, all the students really, she was the only one who showed any kindness towards Bellatrix. She did not tolerate her cruelties and stood her ground whenever Bellatrix said the 'forbidden word' but it only took her a couple days and she was ready to forgive her (not that Bellatrix asked for it). She was far too kind; Bellatrix thought she should have been in Hufflepuff. Bellatrix couldn't stand the girl even if she was a pureblood. Alice was kind. Alice was funny. Alice had character and Alice was smart. Alice this, Alice that…It made her sick the way the other first years looked up to her. If Alice had to play Saint why didn't she go play it somewhere else? Why did she have to torment her with her perfect little smile? Bellatrix didn't want her to be her friend. She wanted Evan. She wanted her cousin; her big brother. She wanted to tease him and to be teased back. She wanted them play Quidditch together. But most of all, she wanted him to laugh with her and not _at_ her as she passed in front of him.

xxxx

Today was an important day because today was the first Quidditch match of the season and the most exciting by far because it would be the Gryffindors playing against the Slytherins. The Great Hall was alive with excitement. On one side sat the proud and excited Slytherins, all dressed in silver and emerald, their flags at arms reach. On the other side sat the equally animated Gryffindors proudly bearing their House colors. Both shouted taunts to one another, hoping to get the members of the rivaling team nervous.

Bellatrix sat at the end of her table, examining the chaos around her with her usual sour expression. She hated this feeling she had whenever she was out of her bed; a feeling of being thrust into a no-man's-land without a House to belong to. She had nowhere to fall back to when she needed to feel safe and comfortable. In Hogwarts, she wasn't a Slytherin or a Gryffindor. She wasn't even a Black. She was simply Bellatrix. Who was Bellatrix? Now that was an interesting question. Before that evening on the 1st of September, Bellatrix had been a Black, a precious daughter, a much loved sister, a future Slytherin and a leader. With one single word, all of that was ripped away and now the young girl found herself with absolutely nothing, nothing but the grim feeling that tortured her heart trying to rip it apart. That feeling was worse today. She couldn't cheer for Slytherin nor could she cheer for Gryffindor (not that she wanted to). So she sat there and waited.

With breakfast finished, the Great Hall began to empty, everyone eagerly making their way towards the Quidditch field. The chanting had begun, each team coming up with a catchy tune that boasted of their valor and ridiculed the opposing team. Bellatrix followed, discreetly jinxing a Gryffindor and tripping a Ravenclaw on her way.

It was a sunny day yet surprisingly chilly. October had definitely arrived, bringing along with it a wintry wind. The icy cold burned the ears of all those who didn't find it necessary to wear a hat (Bellatrix included). In fact, Bellatrix was severely under dressed; refusing to wear any part of the Gryffindor uniform that was not necessary. Luckily, her long thick hair protected her ears a little from the cold and her warm cloak was quite useful for hiding her hands. And besides, Bellatrix wasn't afraid of the cold…she just didn't want her nose to get any redder then it already was.

She hurried down the frozen path towards the field, passing by Evan and his friends on her way. Over time, she noticed how Evan was taking the lead of his group of friends. She couldn't help but think that, if she had been with them, she would have been the leader. Maybe it wasn't too late…

"Hey Blood-traitor! Ready to lose? Gryffindor can never win against Slytherin!" Antonin jeered as they approached her. All four of them wore green and silver scarves and held Slytherin flags.

"What's the matter Bella? No witty comebacks?" Evan laughed, waving his flag in her face. "Poor ickle wittle Bella isn't such a big meany Gwyffindor after all."

Bellatrix frowned and bit her lip, holding back a rude reply. However, she could not keep herself from meeting his gaze head on, silently challenging him to go on. The second their eyes met, his smile disappeared and he quickly averted his eyes. Bellatrix glowered. Now she wasn't even important enough to provoke a reaction in her cousin! Apparently she wasn't even worth his attention anymore.

"You filthy Gryffindors shouldn't mess with us. Purity always comes out on top." The other Slytherin boy added, his face scrunched up into a malevolent sneer.

Bellatrix wanted so badly to reply, to hurt him and show who was boss but she couldn't. All her life, she was brought up knowing where her loyalty rested and she knew that she was loyal to Slytherin. She couldn't hurt them.

"Is that right Lucius?"

Bellatrix glanced to where the feminine voice was coming from only to spot the very person she absolutely did not want to see. Alice Thompson was standing there with a hand confidently placed on her hip, warmly wrapped in a red and gold Gryffindor scarf and wand in hand.

"Go on then. I dare ya." She said nudging her chin at him. "And we'll see who'll come out on top in a duel."

Lucius didn't respond. He simply turned to Bellatrix again and said;

"Now, you need others to defend you? You really are pathetic, Blood-traitor."

And with that, the four boys turned around and hurried towards the nearing Quidditch stands, laughing loudly.

"Don't mind them." Alice shrugged. "They're just insecure that's all."

Bellatrix didn't respond. She simply shot the girl a furious glare and hurried down the path towards the field. She wished she looked as powerful and fearless as Alice had when she confronted Lucius. She should have been the one challenging him to a duel…

Bellatrix Black arrived in front of a large field with three Quidditch posts standing tall on either side. A colorful crowd of emerald green, royal blue, canary yellow and ruby red sat in the large wooden stands, overlooking the ground. The eager roars of the crowd crashed down against her ear drums.

Bellatrix looked up at all of this with an expression of only mild interest when really she could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest. She'd been to many Quidditch games of course. Her father was always invited to sit in the Minister's box and he would always pick her to join him. When she was young, Quidditch games had always been something she and Cygnus did together. Those childhood memories were some of the happiest she remembered. That's why at the sight of the Hogwarts's Quidditch field, she couldn't help but feel her heart grow a little warmer. Unfortunately, that pleasant feeling disappeared instantly as she noticed Evan, Rabastan, Antonin and Lucius head towards their House and she suddenly remembered what awaited her; Gryffindor. It was like a constant cloud looming overhead, preparing to ruin her day. She glanced at the other side of the field where the Gryffindor supporters sat and could not help but sigh in despair.

Could she go sit with the Slytherins? She wondered if perhaps Quidditch would be a good subject to start off conversation with Evan and his friends. But then again maybe trying to befriend the Slytherins when competition between the two Houses was at its peek wasn't such a good idea.

"You're not sitting yet?"

Bellatrix spun around, suppressing a little cry of surprise and groaned instead as she came face-to-face with the ever-popular Alice Thompson. The young girl's round cheeks were rosy pink from the cold. Her soft eyes watched Bellatrix curiously. In return, the gloomy witch did not suppress the urge to sneer.

"None of your concern." She answered, turning around and strutted quickly towards the Gryffindors.

But Alice wasn't one to be shaken off so quickly. She jogged alongside, her breath hanging on the air like little clouds of steam.

"You're probably freezing. You shouldn't be walking around like that!" She exclaimed, breathing into her cupped hands and rubbing them vigorously as they reached the stands.

Bellatrix didn't have trouble finding a place to sit. As she approached the long bench more then one place 'magically' cleared as the Gryffindors moved away allowing her to have an ideal view of the game. Much to her despair, Alice sat beside her, pulling out her Gryffindor flag from her cloak pocket and began waving it around energetically. Bellatrix blocked her out to the best of her capabilities, fixing her attention on the Slytherins team who had just flown out on their brooms, wishing them the best of luck with all her heart.

The crowds cheered and yelled as both captains met in the middle, shaking each others hand with expressions of hate apparent on their faces.

"First game of the season. I wonder who'll win." Alice mused, leaning forward eagerly as the two teams flew into the air, not wasting a second.

"Slytherin…" Bellatrix muttered as her eyes followed the game intently.

The Quaffle flew back and forth, never making its way to the goals. Both teams were giving it their all, refusing to give in. They flew across the field dodging Bludgers and other team players. It was a surprisingly unsafe game for a school match. Gryffindor had already lost a Chaser who was sent crashing into a goal post and the Slytherin Seeker had broken his wrist when he was successfully hit with a Bludger. Even with the bitterly cold air, the Quiditch players all had perspiration running down their necks. Twenty minutes into the game and still the spectators were cheering, their voices hoarse.

"Wow…" Alice breathed, finally laying her flag to rest and leaning back. "Still not a single goal. But I bet Gryffindor will win in the end."

Bellatrix looked at her and wrinkled her nose in disgust. She really couldn't stand her. Perhaps now was the time to get rid of her before she angered her even more.

"You can go now." She sneered.

Much to her surprise, not only did Alice not walk away, she did not look hurt or surprised either. She simply smiled softly, like a mother to her child.

"I'm allowed to sit here." She shrugged. "Aren't you glad I'm keeping you company?"

"No." Bellatrix was fuming once more. Alice was ruining her moment of peace…again!

"I'm not glad…I want you to go away. What's your problem anyways? Why can't you just get a hint?"

"I thought purebloods liked other purebloods." Alice grinned.

"Only those that are worthy of my family name." Bellatrix replied feeling her frozen cheeks heat up.

"Fine!" Alice sighed, exasperated. "Do you want to know why I'm trying to be nice with you even with your terrible attitude?"

"Yes I do."

"It's because you're lonely."

The crowd erupted in cheers and boos so loudly that Alice did not hear Bellatrix grumble a very rude reply.

"GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"

Both girls turned to look at the scoreboard where ten points had just been added to the Gryffindor team, much to Bellatrix's despair. The two girls had to wait for their surroundings to settle down before continuing they could continue their conversation…if one could call it that.

"You don't know anything about me." Bellatrix hissed. "And besides don't you think that if I'm alone it's because that's was I want? I don't need you or anyone else."

She couldn't stand Alice's soft blue eyes. She hated the way they bore into hers as if she understood everything Bellatrix was going through. She had no idea what Bellatrix was feeling. She had no idea how much she missed her friends and family. But Alice wouldn't look away. Bellatrix was forced to avert her eyes in order to escape her infuriating expression of kindness. She turned her attention back on the vicious Slytherin players trying to ignore her fellow Gryffindor.

A Gryffindor had the Quaffle and was heading with full speed towards the Slytherin goal posts. He dodged a Bludger and a Slytherin who was trying to steal the Quaffle from under his arm. The crows cheered louder as he got closer and closer to the goal when…there was a sickening crack as a Bludger collided with the side of the Gryffindor's head and he slipped off his broom. Alice gasped, covering her mouth with her hand and the Gryffindor supporters shouted in outrage. Yet, there was nothing to be done. The second the Gryffindor dropped the Quaffle, a Slytherin grabbed it in midair and scored for the Slytherins.

"SLYTHERIN SCORES!"

Bellatrix smiled, delighted and clapped loudly.

"Aren't you the least bit worried for that guy? He's in our House." Alice exclaimed, her brow creased with concern.

"I'm a Slytherin." The dark-haired witch assured her. "It doesn't matter where I sleep or what colors I wear. I am a Slytherin."

Alice glared at her, an expression of disgust crossing her usually cheerful face.

"You know…with stubbornness like that it's no surprise you were sorted into Gryffindor."

* * *

_So I'll try to have the next one out soon. It's already written it just needs some touch ups. I'm undergoing really bad writer's block at the moment so try to be patient ok?  
Next chapter: HALLOWEEN! Merry Christmas everybody! Hihi i'm so funny :P_

_Lots of love from the Silly Frog.  
_


	5. Halloween

_*hangs head in shame* I'm slow…very very slow. I'm aware of it and I'm working on it. I'm still not finished chapter six but it's about half way done. Now about chapter 5…I kind have a love/hate relationship with it. I'll let you guys decide if it's good or not._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter_

* * *

"_Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of _dog_, Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing, for a _charm_ of powerful trouble, like a hell-broth boil and bubble." -William Shakespeare (Macbeth)_

_In a lion's den_

_5: Trick or treat_

Ah Halloween…is there anything more exciting and more amusing then Halloween? No, other day could a child consume inhumane amounts of candy without being scolded. No other day could a child get away with playing pranks on their elders without ending up punished. Halloween was every child's favorite day…except for Bellatrix, that is.

In fact, Halloween would soon become one of the young Black's least favorite days of the year.

It was noisy, too noisy for a Friday morning. Why were there so many voices in _her_ room? The voices were making it impossible for her to catch the few last minutes of sleep she had before she would have to get up for breakfast. Too late, she was awake and would never be able to fall back into that pleasant dreamless sleep. Now, Bellatrix would be forced to get up and make sure to severely hex whoever was ruining the only thing she loved these days; sleep.

Waking up was a tricky thing for a Black. Having to wake up in a room occupied by three other girls only made things worse. Before the young witch could sit up, she had to discreetly make sure her hair was acceptable, wipe the dust from her eyes and make sure she didn't have (Merlin forbid) bad morning breath, all the while pretending to be asleep. Having completed all the aforementioned ordeals, Bellatrix sat up, appearing to have just woken up. Her eyes ran across three faces that she was not particularly pleased to see. The first was of the very stubborn Alice. So stubborn, in fact, that she rivaled Bellatrix in that domain. The second face was that of stuck-up Giselle Rousseau, the French beauty who had been brought up by her aunt and uncle in Britain. The last and very least was that of little blond 'angel' Sarah; the filthy mudblood. In short, Bellatrix was far from pleased.

"Good morning Black." Alice smiled. She sat on the end of her own bed, swinging her short legs back and forth as if waking up this early was _fun_.

Luckily, the two other girls quickly stopped talking, 'subtly' moving away from Bellatrix. They never knew how to act around the Black. Giselle, surprisingly shy for a Gryffindor, never dared speak to her. Sarah, always eager to meet new people, had tried to befriend her at first…she did not try for very long. Now, whenever they were confined the same room, Sarah and Giselle resorted to avoid her as much as possible while Alice continued to be, well…Alice.

"Alice." Bellatrix gave her a curt nod having decided many days ago that it would be easier to acknowledge the girl's existence rather then put all the effort into ignoring her. This task was made slightly more tolerable by the fact that she was a pure-blood.

"Excited?"

Bellatrix frowned as she got out of her bed, already regretting having to wake up.

"For?"

"Halloween! Our first Halloween at Hogwarts! I heard Dumbledore's organizing something special for the feast tonight. Aren't you excited?"

"_Ecstatic."_

That was the end of their brief conversation. Alice was never one to like sarcasm that much. "Sarcasm is a cheap form of humor." That's what she always said whenever Bellatrix resorted to it as a reply. The black-haired witch didn't mind, though. In fact, she often used sarcasm to get Alice to stop talking to her.

Unfortunately, the nervous silence that the room had falling under did not last long. Inspired by Alice's confidence, the other girls resumed their conversation, deciding to ignore Bellatrix instead of avoiding her.

"So Sarah, what's Halloween like in the Muggle world?"

Bellatrix stiffened. Muggle life…It was about as taboo in her family as disowned family members. Hearing her three roommates talk about it now was unnerving. She picked up her pace, eager to be out of there.

"Well I couldn't compare it to wizard Halloween seeing as this is my first..." Sarah began, running a brush through her blond curls.

"But we basically get to celebrate it by dressing up."

"Dressing up?" Giselle repeated, puzzled. She was trying to straighten her tie with little success.

"Well yes. Originally, you were meant to dress up as something scary; like a werewolf or a vampire or even a witch."

Bellatrix froze. Were muggles parading around as witches this very moment? She had never heard of anything more ridiculous or more insulting in her entire life!

"-but these days, lots of kids like to dress up as other things like their favorite television character or a princess or a ninja or even the tooth fairy. Stuff like that. And you go around door-to-door and people have to give you sweets or you get to trick them! That's why it's called Trick or Treat!"

Bellatrix stood there, comb in one hand and wand in the other, watching the girl in disbelief. She knew muggles were disgusting creatures but _begging_? They actually went around like beggars? And for what? _Sweets?_

"What's called Trick or Treat?" Alice questioned, going over to aid Giselle in her hopeless attempt at fixing her tie.

While Sarah continued to explain about the muggle world, Bellatrix stood still, frowning. At first, she had only been horrified and disgusted but now, getting over the shock of hearing more about muggles, she was slowly noticing something else about this situation. Both Alice and Giselle seemed captivated by her muggle stories, as if they hadn't heard anything quite so amazing. But that didn't make sense…why would they be when they had _her,_ a _pureblood_ right there in front of them. Why were they paying so much attention to a mudblood who wasn't worth the dirt on her shoe? For two months now, everyone had ignored her (except for Alice) and yet, Sarah was getting along perfectly fine! It simply did not make sense. Not only that, but it also infuriated her. It wasn't fair! She was a pureblood. A Black! She had been blessed from birth with everything! So why was it that the little mudblood seemed happier then she did? Why was she the one with all the friends?

Outraged, Bellatrix snatched her bagpacks from the foot of her bed and stormed out of the room, her wand creating red sparks and a loud bang as she slammed the door behind her.

The three girls stared at the closed door in shock.

"Did I say something wrong?" Sarah asked, brow creased with worry.

"Nah…"Alice assured her. "She's been grumpier then usual ever since Gryffindor won the Quiditch game."

xxxxxxx

Lessons went by slowly that day. Bellatrix went from class to class, determined to only waste her energy on things worth her while; like getting the best grades possible. Bellatrix didn't care if it was Halloween. She didn't care if this morning used to be saved for dressing up in pretty dresses with her sisters and doing her hair. She didn't care if Halloween evening used to mean a party where she and her sisters used to go explore their Host's house. She did not care if the evening would always end with the trio on the floor, rolling around laughing. She didn't care if Halloween was one of the rare occasions she saw her father laugh and her mother smile. She didn't care at all. To her, this year's Halloween would be like any other day; terrible.

And so far, her intuition proved to be right. In fact, it seemed like someone somewhere was personally making sure to ruin her day. In one single day she had tripped over her robes and sent tumbling down the last few steps; choked on her pumpkin juice; gotten into a fight with a bunch of Ravenclaws during Transfiguration for being forced to pair up with them; gotten into a fight with a bunch of Gryffindors during Charms for no reason whatsoever; ridiculed by her cousin and his friends during Potions. The list went on and yet Bellatrix stood tall and proud…with a runny nose, that is.

xxxxxx

Herbology; the single most useless class _ever_. The only thing that could make this class worse was the fact that it was freezing outside and couldn't possibly be any warmer in the greenhouse. Bellatrix traipsed towards the conservatory, wishing she hadn't burnt her Gryffindor scarf.

The days were growing shorter and colder. Bellatrix could tell that the sun would soon begin to set, just in time for the Halloween feast; the very feast she was dreading. She didn't want to sit with the Gryffindors and share their food. She didn't want to put the effort into making everything about her look so effortlessly perfect. But she had to. Almost a week ago, Professor McGonagall began to notice the lacking appearance of her most troublesome student during mealtimes and ordered her to attend every meal under the threat of noticing her parents. So now Bellatrix was forced to join her fellow classmates in the oh-so-happy time that was Halloween.

"Now who can tell me what this is?"

The Herbology professor, Herbert Beery, waddled his way through the rows of children holding a large dirt-filled pot with leaves sticking out of it.

Bellatrix looked around at the others and was completely exasperated when nobody raised their hand to answer. Well it wasn't a surprise really. After all, she _was _in a room full of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Once again, Bellatrix would be forced to answer all the questions, 'unintentionally' proving how well-educated she was.

"Yes Black?" The teacher said as Bellatrix raised her hand.

"I believe that is what we call a Mandrake, sir, also known as a Mandragora. The cry of a fully-grown Mandrake is fatal while that of a young one will only knock you unconscious."

"Right answer." Beery said, delicately putting down the pot "Five points for Gryffin-"

"Uh sir?"

"Yes Black? Anything to add?" He flicked his wand, sending a pile of earmuffs in every direction; one for each student.

Bellatrix nodded.

"I don't think points are necessary for answering such an easy question."

There was a large amount of angry hisses and furious glares from the Gryffindors and some confused whispers and raised eyebrows from the Hufflepuffs. Beery stared at his student with a puzzled expression stretched across his face.

"I'm afraid it's not for you to decide. You should simply be happy you won your House some points."

"But honestly sir! I really don't think you should give me points!"

The teacher stared at her for a moment, in puzzled silence.

"Five points for Gryffindor. This discussion is over now, Black. Although I cannot fathom what would make you want to keep your House from winning the House cup…" The large professor began passing out the pots, all the while mumbling under his breath something about modesty and Hufflepuff.

Much to Bellatrix's great annoyance, Alice took advantage of the teacher's inattention in order to discreetly make her way towards her and whispered angrily in her ear:

"What was that? You're a Gryffindor so start acting like one and help us get some points!"

Bellatrix shrugged, giving her an icy smile. If Alice was ready to accord more respect to a mudblood then to a Black, then she was unworthy of Bellatrix's time.

"I'm not a Gryffindor, you daft girl. I'm a Slytherin."

Luckily for her, at that very moment the teacher instructed them to put on the earmuffs allowing her to easily ignore Alice's angry whispers.

Xxxxxxxx

"Hey Black!"

Bellatrix, who has been heading for the exit, having been dismissed by Beery, stopped with a heavy sigh and turned to see who was trying to pick a fight with her this time. Three young first years stood together, fuming. Of course, Bellatrix instantly recognized Alice Thompson. Next to her stood Collin Wood and a Hufflepuff who went by the name of Marlene McKinnon. Further away, Giselle watched with apprehension.

"What?" Bellatrix replied, deciding to keep her cool.

"You know very well what!" Collin exclaimed. "You better start acting like a Gryffindor or you'll have to deal with us!"

Bellatrix gave a humorless laugh, knowing it would only enrage them more.

"Is that a threat? You should be careful, _Wood_." She spat his name as if it were an insult. "Even a brainless fool like yourself knows how dangerous it is to disrespect a Black."

She could almost feel the hate radiating off of the boy's body. For a moment, his hand hovered over his wand pocket and Bellatrix was almost certain he would attack her. Surprisingly, after a moment's hesitation, he dropped his hand to his side and said with a surprising amount of control:

"One day, Black…you'll need our help and we'll see then how powerful you really are when you're alone."

Xxxxxxx

Bellatrix was hurrying down the empty hallway, all the while cursing McGonagall for making her attend the Halloween feast. She was late once again, having just escaped another tiring quarrel with her fellow Gryffindors in the greenhouse. She didn't see why she would have to help them get points. It wasn't like she was forced to compete against Slytherin just because she was in the wrong House. Now all she had to do was get to the Gryffindor tower, drop her schoolbag and get to that damn fea-

_Splash!_

Bellatrix froze in horror. Her eyes dropped to watch tiny rivers of water running down the cracks in the stone floor between her feet and the piece of rubber lying limply in the middle of the puddle. She could almost feel him behind her, just waiting for her to turn to get her right in the fac-

_Splash!_

The young witch let out a small cry as a water balloon hit her in the back of the head, soaking her.

"PEEVES!" She roared, reeling around with a look of murderous intent. Anybody else would instantly stop smiling at the sight of Bellatrix's scariest glare but not Peeves; he simply went on grinning, holding another water balloon in his hand.

Onyx eyes traveled towards the rubber balloon and then back up to meet the poltergeist's devious smirk.

"You wouldn't dar-"

_Splash!_

xxxx

"We should hurry or all the good food will be gone." Collin Wood muttered as he and his two friends hurried down the hallways.

"Yeah." Giselle agreed. "I can't believe the Fat Lady decided to change the password today of all da-"

A high pitched shriek echoed through the hall, bringing the three students to a stop.

"What was that?" Marlene McKinnon gasped, glancing behind them as if expecting the answer show up at any moment.

"No idea. Maybe a banshee?"

"You know…" Giselle murmured. "That sounded an awful lot like Bl-"

"_Help meeeeee! Black is going to kill Peevsieeee!_"

The poltergeist zoomed past them, howling madly with laughter.

"What the-?"

Marlene never had the time to finish her sentence because something short and wet collided with her, sending her crashing to the ground.

"Get out of the way mudblood!" A soaking Bellatrix screamed; wand out and looking absolutely furious as she skidded around the corner and out of sight.

The three first years stood (well except for Marlene who was, in fact, sitting) in silence, staring at the last place they'd seen Bellatrix. Giselle wasn't certain if she wanted to laugh or shout. Bellatrix had, after all, just called her friend a mudblood and pushed her quite brutally to the ground but on the other hand…it was a rare threat to see the gloomy girl soaking wet and looking quite positively mad. Apparently even the Blacks lost their cool.

"Wow…" Wood breathed, holding out his hand for Marlene to get back up. "I guess Peeves found himself a victim after all."

"Should we go-?"

"Help?" Marlene grinned, rubbing her backside. "No way am I helping _Her Highness._ I might be a Hufflepuff but I still deserve respect. Anyways she's 'pure' enough to deal with him by herself."

Giselle glanced at Wood and then back at Marlene, resisting the urge to laugh.

"Come on…we'll miss the feast." Wood smirked, taking her hand and pulling her forwards.

xxxxx

"PEEVES!"

Bellatrix tore down the flight of stairs and ran down another hallway, after the laughing poltergeist who was flinging water balloons at her as he flew backwards.

"_Help I'm under attack! Somebody come save me from the Black!" _He sang.

Bellatrix had finally cracked and was now putting up a good chase; determined to make the ghost pay. Sure it wasn't his fault that her day had been the absolute worst of her life but Bellatrix wanted revenge and he would be the one to suffer it.

She shot spell after spell hoping to hit him eventually but Peeves simply zoomed out of the way, sticking his tongue out at her. She was catching up on him. She was getting closer to her goal when-

"Bellatrix Black?"

Bellatrix skidded to a stop right beside with her would-be-victim.

"_Peeves…_"

Before the pair stood the Bloody Baron and an older Slytherin student who looked awfully familiar to the Gryffindor. The student stared at her in mild shock and amusement while the ghost watched Peeves with a look of annoyance and boredom.

"_What are you doing?" _The Slytherin ghost asked in a low irritated voice.

The question was directed at the poltergeist whose eyes were wide with what was supposed to be innocence.

"_Peeves had his fun now it's time to run!_" He chirped, sinking into the ground and out of sight.

If it wasn't for the fact that the rather imposing ghost and his Slytherin companion were standing in front of her, silently evaluating her pathetic state, Bellatrix would have already been down the next flight of stairs and after Peeves again. But she couldn't very well leave now, not when there were some Slytherins to impress (she seemed to have forgotten how terrible she looked). So she simply stood still, fuming.

"Baron you should go on to the feast." The student said, keeping his cool eyes on the young witch. "I'll be down in a minute."

"Very well." The ghost sighed, gliding slowly away. "But don't be too late and make sure this young lady comes as well. We can't leave those Gryffindors alone for a second without them poking their noses in other people's business." And with that he disappeared into the stone wall leaving an awkward silence in his wake.

Bellatrix glanced up at the older boy cautiously. She was furiously thinking of interesting topics to discuss with him and what to reply if…or actually _when_ he decided to start making fun of her. The Slytherin, on the other hand, simply watched her with mild amusement and curiosity. He didn't look thrilled to see her, true enough, but at least he wasn't wrinkling his nose in disgust and calling her names.

"Bellatrix Black, right?" He broke the silence, holding out his hand.

Even that simple gesture of respect nearly sent Bellatrix into a state of shock. A hand shake? She hadn't been offered one of those in months!

"Y-yes." She stuttered, silently cursing herself for sounding so nervous. After all, he _was_ an older Slytherin boy who had just offered to shake her hand as an equal.

"So why are you soaking wet?" He asked as they began to make their way down the hallway.

"Umm…I had herbology and I got caught in the rain." She lied, thankful for the fact that there were no windows in that particular hallway.

"Rain?" His eyebrows rose in slight disbelief. "It looked like a clear sky when I was out."

"Yes well…you know what autumn's like; one moment it's sunny the next it's pouring." Not that that was _exactly _true but hopefully he wouldn't stick to the subject for much longer.

He frowned and opened his mouth to reply when Bellatrix quickly blurted out:

"I'm sorry but do I know you? You look familiar."

Luckily he decided to drop the subject. He nodded.

"Yes you've been to my house a couple of times for some social events… In fact, I do recall one particularly boring cocktail during which I found you exploring my little brother's room."

"Little brother?"

"Well yes. Rabastan Lestrange? He's in your year."

Bellatrix mentally kicked herself for not spotting the resemblance sooner. Of course! He was Rodolphus Lestrange! The eldest son of the Lestranges! Being out of touch with the rest of the pureblood world really was taking its toll on her. The similarity was remarkable although Rodolphus seemed a couple years older; around 13 or 14 and she had to say that he was also slightly better looking.

"Yes of course! I know him!" She exclaimed.

"Rabastan was actually quite excited about going to Hogwarts with you."

Bellatrix couldn't keep a look of utter shock off her face. It was strange to consider the fact that Rabastan might have wanted to be her friend when now all he ever did was laugh at her.

"Well that was before the whole Gryffindor fiasco." He added bluntly. "I don't know what you were thinking but obviously you weren't thinking much if the Hat placed you in Gryffindor."

"I was thinking!" Bellatrix replied, turning pink. "It's Dumbledore fault! The old fool obviously wanted to make his House more powerful by integrating more purebloods into it."

Rodolphus nodded but said nothing. Bellatrix wasn't certain what he was thinking but she was fairly certain he didn't believe her. Surprisingly enough, still he walked beside her without complaint which not only pleased her but also puzzled her immensely.

"So why were you chasing Peeves anyways?" Rodolphus asked as they drew closer to the Great Hall. Bellatrix was beginning to catch whiffs of what she assumed was the Halloween feast. For the first time in what seemed like ages, her stomach answered to the irresistible call of the feast, aching uncomfortably.

"He-I…He was insulting some Slytherins." She spluttered, getting a sinking feeling that she was digging her own grave but was unable to stop. "I thought I'd teach him a lesson to respect his superiors."

They entered the Great Hall which was decorated with giant pumpkins, animated bats and orange streamers, the delicious aroma of food wafting pleasantly in the air and the sound of laughter filling the room.

For the first time, Bellatrix actually felt glad as she walked beside Rodolphus, heading towards the Slytherin table where its occupants watched the pair curiously.

"Hey Rab." Rodolphus said as he drew near his little brother and his friends. "Did you hear what Bellatrix did? Apparently Peeves was disrespecting some Slytherins so she decided to teach him a lesson. Isn't that right Bellatrix?"

The young witch felt herself turn slightly pink as she shook her head.

"So…is that why he decided to throw water balloons at you?"

"Yes. And he-"

The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself and Bellatrix went pale as she realized what a terrible mistake she had made. She looked up at him with wide horrified eyes and was greeted by a sneer.

"No I meant that I-"

"It's raining…_right_." He jeered, his eyes narrowed with malice as the others laughed along, uncertain of what was going on.

"Peeves comes down the hallway with a water balloon in hand and you follow, dripping wet. Do you honestly believe that I cannot put two and two together?"

"No that's not it…" Bellatrix struggled to find a reasonable explanation but she knew that she had already lost.

"It's bad enough that you can't even dodge one of Peeves' pitiful attacks but then you try and lie to _me_. And what a pathetic excuse for a lie it was. You know, if you can't even come up with a simple lie then you really do deserve to be in Gryffindor."

And with that, he went to sit with his fellow third years, leaving the young girl alone with a group of laughing Slytherins.

It took every bit of strength Bellatrix Black had left in order to keep her bottom lip from trembling. She turned on her heels and stormed back out of the Great Hall with her head held high but heart in pieces. She passed professor McGonagall who called out to her, ordering her to stay where she was but the little witch did not listen. She had lost her appetite anyways.

Halloween had definitely turned out to be Bellatrix's worst day of the year.

* * *

_Once again a big thanks to xoxLewrahxox. Please don't forget to REVIEW! You all probably know how great it is to receive feedback for your work. Next chapter: Bella and Evans have a... talk?_

_Happy New Year people! Lots of love from the Silly Frog!_


	6. Friendships lost

_I LIVE! Yes people I'm still alive. Sorry about the long wait but you see a...frog? ate my...hand and it took my longer to type...yeah. __So anyways here's chapter 6! Now that's its posted I have no excuse for no not continuing chapter 7. **sigh** This one's filled with family/friendship cheesiness! And it has lots Rosier in it **beams** I've got a soft spot for him. And a big thank you to AMAZING beta ready xoxLewrahxox for your great help! ENJOY!_

_GO CANADA FOR 2010 OLYMPICS!!! oh...and good luck to all the other countries. :P _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Writing a fic is nothing compared to trying to find an original disclaimer. How sad...  
_

* * *

"_I had no taste for defeat — much less victory — without a fight." Sun and Steel by Yukio Mishima_

_In a lion's den_  
_6: Friendships lost_

_Drip_… _Drip_… _Drip_…

It was cold and the roof was leaking. Outside, the wind was howling and the storm raged on, frightening the many owls that screeched and flapped their wings. The rundown floor was covered in straw, owl droppings and the skeletons of the many birds' previous meals.

Curled up against the cold stone wall, sheltering herself from the wind was Bellatrix Black. Her large ebony owl stood dutifully beside her; flapping her wings and clipping her beak. Yet, Bellatrix was alone. No letters once again…She had grown used to the lack of communication with her family, however today it was different. Today it pained her so much more. Today was…

"Happy Birthday traitor."

A stabbing feeling to the heart. She was used to it. When it came to Evan Rosier, she couldn't protect herself. It had always been that way. By allowing herself to become his best friend, she had made herself vulnerable.

Evan Rosier stood in the doorway, a letter in his hand and a cruel smirk spread across his face.

"What are you doing here?" She hadn't meant to sound so resentful. It had simply slipped out before she could control herself. When it came to her cousin, she had always been the leader, the bolder of the two. She honestly did not feel like being the object of his taunts that night.

Evan's eyes narrowed warily, taking another step towards her.

"You shouldn't be using that tone with me, blood traitor."

He waited, expecting her to react. How? Did he expect her to plead for forgiveness? Did he want her to beg for him to accept her? No, of course not. Evan knew better than that. He probably just wanted to provoke her.

"Stop it Evan." She sighed, exhausted and in no mood for a fight. "You have to stop."

Her lack of interest seemed to puzzle Evan and ruin his fun. He stood awkwardly with his letter in hand, uncertain of how to react.

"Why are you here so late?"He asked finally, heading towards his owl. He kept his head down as he tied his letter to his owl's claw, allowing his messy brown hair to cover his eyes. Bellatrix shrugged, stroking Kira's head with the back of her hand.

"I came to visit my owl.."

At this, Rosier gave a small chuckle, his attention still fixed on his own owl.

"I'm sure it's been quite bored…seeing as it never has any letters to deliver."

Another stab, yet this one was more painful than the first. She blinked back the tears that had been growing in her heart since that morning, hating herself for being such a weak and foolish child. '_Just don't cry Bella. Don't cry.'_

She struggled to her feet and walked over to where her cousin stood.

"Oh, have you received any letters Evan?" She said angrily. "Can you honestly tell me that your parents have taken their time to write you any letters? Even a quick message to tell you how proud they are?"

"I don't need letters…I know they are." Evan muttered, fiddling with his letter as if it hadn't been attached properly.

"Sure." She laughed coldly, her vision becoming hazy with tears. "They have never cared about you Evan! Everybody knows it!"

Now she knew she had just sent a pain straight to his heart. It was always like that; a game of darts to see who could do the most damage. Sometimes, their fights got so bad that neither one thought that they could ever forgive the other. However, no matter how much they abused each other's weaknesses, they were always there to help each other, to heal each other's heart. They helped each other grow stronger.

"Stop crying." Evan finally said in an irritated tone. "You should be honored that I'm even talking to you."

"So I'm a Gryffindor!" She shouted, brushing the tears of anger while even more poured down her cheeks. "So what? That doesn't make me a blood traitor! That doesn't make me any less of a Black. The blood in my veins is still pure! You know this just as well as I do Evan!"

"You're still a Gryffindor, Bella…" The Slytherin muttered, looking much less convinced then he had at the beginning. "There's a reason why you were placed in that House. There's a reason why your family won't write to you."

It was very dark now and the two cousins could barely see each other anymore except for when the occasional flicker of lightening cast eerie shadows, and allowed each of the cousins to witness the anger in each other's faces for brief moments. All that could be heard was the pouring rain and the booming thunder. Bellatrix was breathing heavily and didn't seem able to stop crying. All she could do was watch Evan Rosier as he faced the window, allowing the wind and rain to spray his face.

"Don't you miss me at all Evan?"

The sudden vulnerability in her voice shocked Evan into meeting her teary gaze. His eyes were large and sincere for the first time in months and Bellatrix couldn't help but remember those days when her cousin had been nothing but a shy little boy.

xxxxx

"_Bellatrix, this is your cousin Evan Rosier."_

_The dress was uncomfortable. Her bun was too tight; it was hurting her. Her stomach grumbled, demanding to be fed and she was bored out of her mind. Still, she smiled and nodded, quickly moving on to the next guest. However, soon enough all the guests had been greeted and the adults turned to their grown-up conversations, abandoning the little girl to her endless boredom. Social events were always the same, just as dull. Yet, they were essential; her parents had made that quite clear._

"_Hello Bellatrix."_

_The timid voice brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up to find the source of the voice, surprised to find that it had come from her newly acquainted cousin._

"_Hello." She replied, now taking the time to inspect him better. He was fairly tall and smartly dressed (no doubt by his mother). His brown hair had been brushed back and groomed to a glossy finish so that it almost looked like plastic and made him look quite ridiculous. But he definitely had lovely eyes; large and brown. Sadly, there was something wrong with them. There was no light shinning in them. _

"_How do you do?" She asked politely. She hated that question. It sounded foolish to her. Even at the age of seven, she knew that asking someone how they felt meant nothing. She did not genuinely want to hear someone complain about their life nor was anyone expected to actually be honest. The answer was always the same…_

"_Well and yourself?"_

'_Hungry, tired, uncomfortable, bored out of my mind_…'

"_Very well thank you." She nodded._

_There was an awkward silence and Bellatrix was beginning to grow impatient with the boy. If he came over to speak to her surely he must have had a conversation in mind! Strangely enough, he simply stared at the ground, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. _

"_Well?" Bellatrix sighed at last, throwing her charade to the dogs and giving the boy a pointed glare. It wasn't like this Rosier boy was anyone important yet. He looked up, a look of discomfort showing plainly on his features._

"_Aren't you going to say something?"_

_He licked his lips nervously, glancing over his shoulder where their parents were conversing._

"_Umm…to tell you the truth it was my parents who wanted me to talk to you." He admitted, slowly turning pink under her glare. _

"_Your parents?" Bellatrix did not know what to say. She was a little disappointed, she had to admit. Nobody came to talk to her out of their own free will. She scared them. They only came for her family name. _

"_Yes." He nodded, looking back down at the ground. _

"_Well…" There was a brief uncomfortable silence. "You've spoken to me, now you can go." She muttered, making a move to turn away from him but before she could take a step, a hand grabbed her shoulder. She froze, her back turned against Evan._

"_I'm sorry..." He murmured, quickly dropping his hand again._

"_For what?" Bellatrix asked, an increasing feeling of unease rising in the pit of her stomach. _

"_You're always alone." _

_Her heart was beating faster than usual. How strange…Why did his words pierce her heart as if he knew her? He didn't. Nobody did. She wasn't alone. She had the House of Black._

"_I don't know what you're talking about." _

xxxxx

_It was a dull rainy day._

_The sun hid behind a blanket of clouds and the streets of London were completely empty, everyone taking shelter in their warm houses. Two laughing children stood over the large black River Thames, trying to catch their reflections in its murky waters._

"_What's with that hair anyways?" Bellatrix laughed, pointing at the blurry reflection of Evan Rosier. When he didn't give a response, the girl quickly turned towards him and made a quick move to try and ruffle his hair. Evan pulled back hastily, pushing away his cousin's hand._

"_Don't!" He exclaimed.._

"_But it's ridiculous! No boy I know has such well-groomed hair! It's far tidier than mine and I'm a girl!"_

"_Your hair isn't hard to beat. It looks like the head of a mop." He teased, earning himself a hard push.._

"_Yeah well it makes you look stupid." She grumbled, unconsciously running her hand over her bushy hair. _

"_It's not my fault." The young boy sighed, losing his smile as he leaned back over the railing. _

"_Yeah sure…" Bellatrix muttered. " You were born with the stupid hairstyle right?"_

_He did not answer but simply blushed and looked away. _

"_You're too timid Evan." She sighed, picking up a stray leaf and throwing it over the railing, watching as it danced lightly in the air before landing on the smooth river. _

"_It's a shame really…there's no light in your eyes." _

"_Light in my eyes?" The young Rosier tilted his head to one side and gave his friend a quizzical look. "Bella are you alright? Have you been drinking potions or something?" _

"_No Evan." She laughed. "I haven't been drinking potions. I just mean that- well…there's no light in your eyes…except occasionally when you laugh but other then that you just have that blank look about you…you know what I mean?"_

_But it was obvious by the expression on Evan's face that he didn't._

"_Never mind then." She sighed, throwing another leaf into the river. "But you're still too timid. You should try and enjoy life a little more. And get rid of that dreadful hair!"_

"_I can't Bella." He exclaimed, running his hand over his overly groomed hair uncertainly. "You know my parents want me constantly at my best. I'd get in trouble…I have to respect them." _

_Bellatrix laughed, turning her back to the river and leaning against the railing. _

"_Come on your parents won't kill you for hair! Look at my hair!" She gestured to her messy long black hair. "Sure my parents aren't pleased…at all. But as long as I'm not at any public event I'm safe. Surely it's the same for you?"_

_Evan looked down at the ground and rubbed his arm with a solemn look on his face._

"_It's not the same Bella. Our families aren't the same."_

_Bellatrix sighed and rolled her eyes but said no more. As much as she loved picking on her cousin, she could never bring herself to prey on his worst weakness…well at least not on such happy and peaceful moments such as the one they were sharing at that very moment. She would reserve the parent jokes and cruelties for another day when he chose to bring out the incestuous Black jokes. _

"_You know my parents are already planning my marriage?" Evan blurted out of nowhere. He probably wanted to make it seem like he'd only just remembered that particular piece of news but it came out with a hint of panic and dread to it._

"_Really?" Bellatrix looked at him in shock, eyebrows raised. "To whom?"_

"_Some __Prewett__ girl." He sighed, slumping against the railing. "I haven't even met her."_

"_Oh come on Evan!" Bellatrix pushed him lightly on the shoulder and gave him a comforting smile. "You sound like some sort of damsel in distress dreaming of true love!"_

"_Yeah…" He gave a weak smile and shrugged. "I guess your right but still…I don't really feel like thinking about my wedding before I can even grow facial hair."_

_Bellatrix couldn't help but giggle at the thought of a ten-year-old Evan Rosier with a beard. _

"_Well it isn't official is it? They're just considering it. What do the Prewetts think about this whole thing?" _

"_That's the thing!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "I have no idea what's happening. They haven't told me anything except that they might have found a new alliance to form with the Prewetts. I don't even know if my parents have asked them yet."_

"_Well why would they have to? Who would refuse a Rosier?"_

"_Yeah…" He sighed gloomily. "But still…apparently she's a redhead."_

_Bellatrix laughed at this, unaware of her cousin's look of total despair. Taking advantage of his momentarily inattention, she lunged at him and ruffled his hair, completely ruining it._

"_Bella!" He shouted, pulling back. But the damage was already done. His hair was all ruffled. _

"_Great…" He muttered, leaning over the water in order to catch his reflection in the river. Bellatrix frowned and tilted her head, getting a better look of her cousin._

"_You know Evan…you look kind of handsome with your hair like that." _

xxxxx

Evan opened his mouth, hesitating as to what to answer.

"Bella, I…you-"

But at that very moment, the door was flung open and somebody stormed in, exclaiming:

" Rosier what's taking you so long? I'm starving…" He trailed off as his eyes adjusted to the dark and noticed the presence of a second figure.

"Lumos." He muttered, lighting up the area closest to him.

"Oh." He leered at Bellatrix when finally recognizing her. "It's you. What are _you_ doing here? I doubt you'll find lots of Gryffindor glory picking up owl droppings…although being a Gryffindor you probably can't do much else."

The young Gryffindor flushed pink as she tried to wipe away the lingering tears with as much composure as possible.

"I was visiting my owl, Rabastan." She answered coldly as she turned to pick up her bag. She was fully aware of how pathetic an explanation it was but upon seeing Rabastan and remembering Rodolphus' cruel sneer, she was reminded that it wasn't worth lying.

"Probably since it's the only thing willing to suffer being in your presen-."

"Rabastan _shut up_!"

The room fell quiet again. Rabastan stood still, his mouth slightly agape as he stared at the relatives in silent stupor. Bellatrix and Evan also fixed each other, both surprised by what had been said and _who_ had said it.

"You're sticking up for her?" The Lestrange boy finally said, a look of outrage crossing his features.

Evan turned pink under the soft glow of the Lumos spell and ran a hand through his sufficiently ruffled hair.

"It's just…there's no point in you lowering yourself to her level. Let's not waste our time."

Rabastan nodded, eyes narrowed with an obvious wariness.

"You're right, Rosier. Let's leave."

But before the two Slytherins could make their way towards the exit, Bellatrix had already swung her bag over her shoulder and was out of the door, not wanting to deal with the boys insufferable taunts any longer. She hurried down the narrow spiraling staircase, leaning against the icy cold wall in an attempt not to slip. She did not think her death would be treated with the proper dignity if she were to kill herself by slipping and cracking her head open. Evan would probably get a laugh out of that.

'_Damn Rosier…'_

Speaking so frankly to Evan had been a foolish decision, one that she would most likely regret when he decided to tell his "friends" all about it. No matter…he couldn't say anything that would hurt her now. She was better than he was. She was the stronger of the two. And he…he was nothing but a two-timing filthy hypocrite.. Nothing else mattered but that truth. Well at least nothing else mattered until Bellatrix came face to face with a couple of Gryffindors.

Bellatrix froze, barely saving herself from tumbling down the few remaining steps. The two boys did the same, momentarily too shocked to do anything but gape at her.

"What?" She snarled, warily taking a step back. "No glares or curses today?"

She knew the two boys well enough to know that they did not have her welfare at heart. Collin and his older brother Peter Wood.

It was Collin who spoke first, his face firmly settling into a deep frown.

"Black… you've been crying?"

Bellatrix sniffled and took another step back up the slippery steps. Once again it would seem as if some invisible forces were working against her. Why did it have to be _now _that those two dimwitted Gryffindors had to go mail their letters?

"Get out of my way you idiots." She ordered, silently slipping her frozen hand into her pocket and gripped her wand. She _really _wasn't in a patient mood.

"Fuck off Black! " Peter spat, taking a first step in her direction.

That was it; the spark that set Bellatrix aflame. Before even _she _was aware of what was going on, she had whipped out her wand and screeched the first spell that came to mind. The Wood boys wasted no time. They retaliated with as much fervor, Collin creating a protective wall in front of them while Peter shot hex after hex. Bellatrix had always thought herself a talented duelist but she had to admit that she couldn't take both of them on by herself. It was far too difficult. Already she was stumbling backwards, desperately trying to keep her balance as she created her own protective screen. It was in moments such as these that she felt the intense need to learn powerful spells. Spells that would bring them to their knees and make them beg for forgiveness. Of course, those spells were out of limits at Hogwarts and Bellatrix seriously doubted any chance of her returning to her home anytime soon. She would have to make do with petty charms and hexes.

Her foot slipped and she came crashing down upon her backside, a small cry escaping her dry throat. She was vaguely aware of a rather nasty hex being shouted and a jet of light flying in her direction before she tightly shut her eyes, awaiting the worst. She would be humiliated and laughed at. The tiny little once of respect she had left would be washed away when people found out she had been taken down by two Gryffindors.

Nothing happened…

Bellatrix opened her eyes once more and stared at a protective charm wall. Collin and Peter Wood glared furiously at something behind her and she quickly turned, already understanding what had happened.

"You're losing your stuff Bella." Evan smirked, wand in hand and at the ready for a battle. Rabastan stood beside him with his own wand out.

The witch could barely keep an expression of shock off her face as she stared up at them. Why were they helping her? Instead, she struggled to her feet, trying to overlook the throbbing pain and lightly pushed Evan away from her.

"I don't need your help." She smirked, throwing her cousin a taunting glance.

"Tch. Who said we were helping you?" Rabastan replied, carefully eyeing the Wood brothers warily. "We just feel like having a little fun with our favorite Gryffindors."

Peter Wood laughed scornfully and flung another spell that failed to hit its mark.

"You're so full of yourself Lestrange."

Bellatrix couldn't help but laugh as she stood between the two Slytherins. For the first time since the sorting hat incident she felt powerful and in control.

"Fine but don't get in my way boys." She said before raising her wand once more and aiming for the eldest Wood brother.

xxxxx

It was later the same day when Antonin rushed into the Slytherin common room, wearing a delighted expression as he plopped himself down between Rabastan and Evan.

"Did you guys hear the news?" He asked glancing at both of his friends excitedly.

Rabastan was scowling silently as he stared into a space, an open Charms book open on his lap. Evan was running his fingers over his wand, his bangs shadowing his grim expression.

"You _finally_ managed to perform the Levitation spell?" Lucius asked from across the room, smirking.

"Very funny Malfoy." Antonin called back over his shoulder before turning towards his friends. "It's about the Wood brothers. Somebody knocked them out and locked them up in the owlery. The rumors say that it was Bellatrix Black."

Rabastan sighed and snapped his book shut whilst Evan brushed the hair out of his face and turned to look at the boy next to him.

"However, I don't think she could have taken them both on by herself." Dolohov continued, pleased to be the bearer of good news. "I mean Peter Wood is a _third_ year and Collin Wood isn't that bad either…for a Gryffindor that is." He quickly added the last part after a couple of sixth year girls threw him irritated glares.

"So you think someone helped her out?" Rosier asked, quietly tucking away his wand.

"Yeah.." Antonin nodded. "Yet, who would help her take out a pair of Gryffindors? Could it have been a Slytherin?"

At this, Rabastan snorted and got to his feet.

"You're really dumb sometimes you know that Dolohov? Why would a Slytherin ever help _her_?"


	7. Chapter 7

_Here's chapter 7! This is actually only half of the chapter. But it was wisely suggested that I make it into two chapters because it was a little long. The next chapter should be out very soon. I even have chapter 8 finished as well! It just needs a little cleaning up. Big thanks to beta-reader xoxLewrahxox. Couldn't do it without you!_

_This chapter (and the second part not yet posted) are dedicated to Inkfire for being so kind and being such a lovely reviewer!_

_Next chapter: Bellatrix in detention? And who's that sitting beside her?_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or make money from this._

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**In A Lion's Den Chapter 7  
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**Tedious Classes and the Hag  
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_"When a teacher calls a boy by his entire name, it means trouble." - Mark Twain_

Many things occur during the winter season: Lack of sunlight, lack of study-free breaks, lack of warmth and lack of sleep. Lack of sleep and learning how to deal with it was perhaps the most important lesson to be learnt at Hogwarts, during the frosty season. Lack of sleep meant lack of cheerfulness which in turn became a lack of friendliness (or respect for that matter.) And in the end, this all meant a lack of patience and lack of places in the detention rooms. This lesson would be one Bellatrix would learn all too soon.

Transfiguration was the highest point of Bellatrix's misery. Nothing could top the hour spent listening to McGonagall's dry, cringe-worthy voice as she praised Gryffindors for completing their homework and yelled at Slytherins for not paying attention. Nothing could equal the unquenchable thirst for the hate and destruction she felt, as she watched the uptight hag bombard them with muggle-worthy spells, and then assign them genius-leveled essays. It was as if she was waiting for the perfect moment to give them homework. If, the students had a weekend with no homework coming up, like a glimmer of light, she would have them write an essay on the ethical issues of Transfiguration. Bellatrix had visited London's Wizarding Zoo many times as a child and she had too say, as she disdainfully scrutinized her teacher's face that she had never seen a troll as ugly as the one standing in the front of the class.  
"Miss Black!"

A shrill voice broke through Bellatrix's thoughts and sent an involuntary shiver down her spine. Slowly raising her head from its comfortable perch on her palm, she met her teacher's deep frown and nearly let a sigh slip. It had been decided since Bellatrix's very first class that professor McGonagall would hate her as much as she detested her teacher.

"Yes professor?" Bellatrix attempted to keep the venom out of her voice.

"You were not listening – again." Came a clipped response. It would seem that the teacher was making as much of an effort as the young Black in remaining civilized.

"Yes I was…professor."

The onyx eyes held their superior's stare with fierce determination. It was a childish game really, but they both understood it all too well. The first one to look away would lose.

"Oh? Then I am certain that you would not mind enlightening me."

"Yes with pleasure." Bellatrix replied with a forced a smile. "You were telling us about Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration. There are only five exceptions to the law. For example food and love cannot be created. Food can only be multiplied and we can only imitate love. The theory is named after the creator Hesper Gamp who was married to my ancestor Sirius Black II."

McGonagall nodded, returning to the chalk board. As she began to write out the five exceptions on the board, Bellatrix couldn't help but smile victoriously, once again thanking her parents for her excellent mind.

"Five points for Gryffindor for the well developed answer."

Bellatrix nearly fell off her chair. It was only too obvious to anyone with ears that the teacher was enjoying herself as she uttered those words, knowing full well that they were bound to irritate the young Black rather than please her.

The class progressed in the same lengthy manner. The fact that Bellatrix already knew all there was to know on the Gamp law and its creator really didn't help to prevent her boredom. Near the end of the class, things took a turn for the worse. The class was working hard on turning twigs into needles. Bellatrix, who had been observing the students attempt to transform their twigs, having already accomplished her own, spotted two boys- a Gryffindor and the Slytherin named Antonin Dolohov. They seemed to be passing snide comments to one other. Listening attentively, Bellatrix quickly understood that the fight was about a filthy squib that the Gryffindor called his brother. The insults only finished when the Gryffindor grabbed the other boy's twig and snapped it in half before turning his back on the boy and pretending that nothing had happened. It seemed like barely a second after, when Bellatrix saw a flash of silver as a Gryffindor boy let out a yelp. A real fight then broke out, in which the Gryffindor in question began yelling at Antonin, calling him all kinds of names. Dolohov, for his part, retorted smoothly, a smug look upon his face.

McGonagall swooped on the pair like an owl on its prey, breaking up the two boys and ordering them back to their work. She even went so far as to remove ten points from each house for the quarrel.

"But that's not fair professor!" The Gryffindor cried, turning crimson with rage. "He stabbed me with his needle!"

"Maybe if you had any magical talent at all, you would be able to do the same." The emerald tied boy sneered, indicating towards the twig which was lying pointlessly on his enemy's desk.

The Gryffindor gaped at him, outraged.

"You couldn't even change it yourself! You just took your Malfoy's!"

A pink tint was creeping up the back of his neck, Antonin opened his mouth to retort when McGonagall gave him such an angered look he instantly closed his mouth again.

"That's enough from you Mr. Dolohov. An extra ten points from Slytherin for violence and the inappropriate use of school material."

Bellatrix found herself on her feet before she could stop herself. This was the perfect moment for her to win some Slytherins to her side. All she had to do was stand up for Dolohov.

"Professor McGonagall that isn't fair! Didn't you see what he did to Dolohov's material?" She exclaimed, gesturing to the two broken halves.

McGonagall appeared slightly surprised at the sound of Bellatrix's voice, but then forced a stern expression back on her face, turning to face the troublesome student.

"Yes I have Miss Black and that is why I have removed ten points from his House. However, I do not tolerate any form of violence whether it may be with or without magic."

"So presumably, a needle is violent now?" Bellatrix replied, feeling her blood boil in her veins.

"One used to stab a fellow student is." McGonagall's clipped reply came with a very clear warning of what was to come for the Gryffindor if she did not hold her tongue.

The room was deadly quiet now as everyone watched the two witches glare at each other, dislike radiating off of their bodies. The second McGonagall turned her back on the troublesome student; Bellatrix reeled around and sneered at the Gryffindor boy who had caused the whole problem.

Now Gryffindors were known for their courage, yet courage couldn't protect them (or anyone really) from Bellatrix's glare. Such a look could melt the skin off a face. The boy suffering the glare instantly turned away and whispered something angrily to his partner.

"What was that?" Irritation was ringing strongly in Bellatrix's voice.

"Why should I tell you?" The Gryffindor began turning to face her head on.

"What did you say you-"

"_Bellatrix __Black, sit down right now_!"

"You already know what we all think of you!"

"You filthy little mudblood!"

"_Black!"_


	8. Of thieves and hypocrites

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_Here's chapter 8 everybody! Well technically it's the second part of chapter 7 but...who cares right? Enjoy! And remember reviews = love! _

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

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"Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend." – Albert Camus

_Chapter 8: Of thieves and hypocrites_

Bellatrix could not believe it. Could not believe how she, Bellatrix Black, the best pureblood to walk the halls of Hogwarts since Salazar Slytherin, could end up in

detention. It was only too unfair. So unfair, in fact, that had the headmaster been anyone else, she would have complained. But seeing as the headmaster was Dumbledore (the one person she hated more than McGonagall) she decided to take the punishment with all the grace and poise of a Black. And by grace and poise, she meant throwing her feet up on the desk, leaning back in her chair and sulking while awaiting her teacher's arrival. She did bother to look up as the door opened numerous times and students poured in, sighing loudly at the sight of the hard uncomfortable wooden chairs. One by one, they took their place, the elder students obnoxiously breaking the silence with their pompous remarks of the number of times they had landed detention while the younger cowered silently, wondering what hideous beast their punishment would involve.

At last, as the needle of the clock hanging over the teacher's desk struck seven, the door opened McGonagall came in, resembling all-too-much the nasty owl Bellatrix's aunt Walburga used to own.

Without a word, she settled down at the teacher's desk, folding her hands imperiously on the desk before her and allowed her clear cold eyes to scan the room. As expected, it was the young Black's name that was called first.

"Miss Black school property is not to be used as a footrest."

Bellatrix scowled, swinging her legs off the wooden surface and leaned back in her chair, glaring daggers at McGonagall.

Contented, the witch turned her stern gaze on the others. It was like she was peering deeply into each of their souls, feeding fear and guilt into their hearts like some festering disease that would soon turn their insides into decay…at least that's what she hoped would happen. Bellatrix, on her side, had no intention on succumbing to McGonagall's corrupted ways. If she was forced to write an essay of any kind on how she had been disrespectful to a professor, she would feel compelled walk out.

"Now I assume you are all aware of why you are here. Be conscious that if I find any of you in my detention session once more I will not be as lenient."

Bellatrix could feel the pair of Ravenclaws behind her shudder.

"I want you all to write a fifteen inch easy on-"

The creaking of a door opening behind her brought Bellatrix out of her day dream and forced her to glance over her shoulder in order to witness the student burst into flames under the dangerous gaze of McGonagall. A sickening feeling quickly settled in the pit of her stomach as she caught the sight of the pale frame of an all-too-familiar Slytherin.

"You're late Mr. Lestrange." The teacher sighed as Rabastan came in and hovered tensely at the back of the classroom, eyes searching for a free chair.

"Take a seat…the one next to Miss Black will do just fine."

Bellatrix guessed that she and the Slytherin were sharing matching expressions of horror because snickers soon filled the space as every head strained to catch sight of the enemies.

"Now Mr. Lestrange."

Rabastan was quickly pulled out of his state of shock and turned a pale tint of pink as he made his way to the ebony-haired Gryffindor near the back of the classroom. Bellatrix refused to look at him as he threw himself violently in the old wooden chair and crossed his arms over his scrawny chest.

"As I was saying" McGonagall's bitter voice pierced the stifled laughter, reminding the students of their current situation. "you will write a fifteen inch essay on what you will do to better improve your attitude in the future."

Bellatrix gagged. Could this day get any worse?

"And if you fail to complete your work you can simply finish it next week during the next detention session."

The young witch could barely keep her mouth shut as her professor announced the sudden decline in the Black's hopeful escape idea. Now escaping would be useless if she would be forced to return the next week. She had no doubt that the old hag would make her come week after week until she reached her fifteen inches of false flattery. What made matters worse was that she would have to do it all with Rabastan's arrogant smile and cruel gaze hanging right over her.

"You may start."

By now, she was certain someone had enchanted the clock because there was no way the hand was moving that slowly on its own. The room was gradually emptying as the students completed their papers with time to spare and handed them in, receiving permission to return to their common rooms.

A blank scroll of parchment lay out in plain view before the prodigious Black with nothing but her name elegantly sprawled across the top right corner in black ink. She would never have believed it but it would seem it was actually physically impossible for her to do as McGonagall asked – or ordered.

Beside her, Rabastan was equally unable to complete his essay. Every time he attempted to write sentence, he would catch a mocking smirk on his neighbor's lips and abruptly place his quill back down. As the minutes ticked away, it was becoming increasingly clear that Bellatrix would have to hurry if she hoped to put an end to her detention.

It was twenty minutes to nine when there came a knock on the door and a Gryffindor prefect popped his head inside, eyes wide and panicked.

"What is it?" McGonagall asked, peering over her glasses at the student.

"Sorry to bother you professor but Peeves is causing quite a bit of trouble in the west wing and well…"

The witch let out an exasperated sigh as she rose to her feet and nodded, waving the student on without her. She then looked back at the pair of wide eyes, watching her carefully with a glint of mischief glimmering behind dilated pupils.

"I will be gone for a minute. I expect to see you both in your seats when I return or it will be detention until the end of the month for both of you."

Bellatrix glanced at Rabastan who reflected her action. She hadn't noticed that she and her foe were the only two students left in the classroom and couldn't ignore the increasing feeling of irritation at the thought of being left alone with him. Things hadn't gotten better after the whole "Wood" incident. If anything, they were worse. It was as if Rabastan and Evan were going out of their way to make sure everybody knew how much they disliked the Black, and Bellatrix did not know how much she could put up with. Her patience was running out.

McGonagall was soon enough gone, hurrying to keep Peeves from tying little first years upside down or something similar. The moment the door was shut once more, Rabastan was on his feet, stretching leisurely like a snake coiling out of its damp hole, unrolling its fluid body.

"Don't be stupid." Bellatrix grumbled, fiddling with her quill. "You can't really think that McGonagall won't notice your disappearance if you leave now?"

Rabastan snorted, making his way to the teacher's desk with all the confidence in the world.

"You know Blood Traitor…for Gryffindor I don't think McGonagall likes you very much." He mocked, picking up a roll of parchment and beginning to read another student's work.

"You think?" Bellatrix wrinkled her nose, bending back down over her parchment before adding under her breath: "Not very bright now are you?"

Unfortunately, it would seem that Rabastan made up for his supposed lack of intelligence by use of his sensitive hearing.

"I'm not the one who chose brawn over brain, Gryffindor."

"You Hypocrite." Bellatrix seethed, bringing the feathery tip of her quill to her mouth. She frowned down at the blank parchment.

"Traitor."

"Leech."

"Trash."

She looked up to glare at him. Surprisingly, he wasn't glaring back. He was bent over a particularly long piece of parchment.

"What are you doing?" Bellatrix asked in what she hoped was an authoritative tone.

"This guy's not bad for a Hufflepuff." He said, jabbing the paper with his index finger. "I've got to say I'm surprised he landed himself in detention in the first place…well since he's such a kind, generous Hufflepuff he won't mind me 'borrowing' his paper."

Bellatrix's attention was pricked at this and her back straightened slightly as she carefully evaluated the boy standing at the front of the classroom. He had his wand out now and was muttering a spell under his breath, guiding the wooden tip across the top right corner of the paper.

"Goodbye Gerry Lenard." He muttered, picking up the teacher's quill which had been lying on the desk, right where she had left it. "Hello Rabastan Lestrange." He dipped the pointed tip in a pot of ink and scribbled something down with a contented grin.

Bellatrix was on her feet before she could catch herself, walking purposely across the room, swaying around the empty desks skillfully. She didn't think twice as she came up beside the Lestrange boy, her arm brushing against the warm fabric of his robe as she bent down over the scroll, a cruel smirk spreading across her face as she read the name on the parchment.

Rabastan Lestrange.

His name was on the paper he had so obviously not written. Obvious to her anyways. She doubted McGonagall would guess that this wasn't his. Their hand-writing matched. Bellatrix would rather kiss the Slytherin than admit that his idea was brilliant. She looked up at him, eyes wide and gleaming with malice and offered him the first smile since the sorting.

"Not bad Lestrange."

The smug smile suddenly disappeared as he gave a snort and rolled the parchment up, tucking it proudly under his arm and turning to evaluate her as she began searching through the rolls.

"Couldn't think of it yourself?"

Bellatrix opened her mouth to spit one of her witty replies when she suddenly realized that she didn't have one in mind. Blushing with embarrassment and thoroughly irritated with herself, she quickly jumped on the first topic that came to mind, forgetting who it was she was talking to – anything to cover up her embarrassing lack of retorts.

"What are you doing in detention anyways?"

Rabastan gave a slightly exasperated look, uncertain whether he should ignore her or give her a snide reply. All this talking was giving his mind an awful strain. After a brief overview of the whole situation, he decided it couldn't hurt to give a curt reply. After all it wasn't as if anyone was there to witness their conversation. His reputation wouldn't be tainted in the slightest.

"I got caught in the restricted area." He shrugged.

"Doing?"

Bellatrix was opening roll after roll of parchment, searching for handwriting similar to her own.

"I was looking for a book obviously."

"Well I know that. Honestly Rabastan with brains like that you're an embarrassment to the pureblood name. If you end up marrying one of my sisters you'll never hear the end of it."

The Slytherin didn't know whether to laugh or sneer. Sometimes, quite rarely really, he found himself liking the girl's companionship. She was sharp and witty. Of course he would never admit this to anyone. She wasn't part of the people that was considered 'socially acceptable' to talk to at Hogwarts. Anyway, most of the time she was proud and thought she knew everything about everything. Not quite unlike himself, but that was a detail he hoped to overlook. It was a shame for her family though. Although not the kindest of people, Cygnus and Druella Black had always liked him and his brother. He only hoped that the two younger daughters made up for their sisters faults by making it into Slytherin without trouble. It was too late for Bellatrix of course. No matter how hard she tried, things like this weren't soon forgotten in a pureblood society.

"I'm the embarrassment? Honestly Bella I think you've forgotten you're current situation."

A brief awkward silence swiftly settled down on the room, emphasizing the words he had just spoken. Bella…Nobody called her that anymore. Judging by the faint tinge of pink on her cheeks, she was all too aware of it. Rabastan cleared his throat uncomfortably before continuing.

"I was looking for an Occlumency book if you must know." He sniffed, rolling his eyes as Bellatrix got hold of an excellently written paper and held it to the light, scrutinizing the writing.

"Occlumency? Why on earth would you want to learn that?" She questioned, pulling out her wand and tapping the name sprawled out on the parchment. Muttering a spell, the ink seemed to evaporate, leaving no trace whatsoever of the name of the girl who had just lost her work.

"It's a great art." Rabastan explained, watching as she dipped the quill in the ink and then wrote her name out with exaggerated elegance on the parchment, smiling satisfactorily. "All the great wizards learn it. So, that nobody can penetrate their minds."

Bellatrix laughed.

"Why would you have to learn that? I seriously doubt anyone would go through so much trouble to find out what you're thinking of."

Rabastan shot her a warning glance before heading back to his seat, having decided that they had pushed their luck to its limit. McGonagall might return at any moment and he really didn't want to be left with Bellatrix in detention for the rest of the month.

The witch followed, scanning "her" essay thoroughly for anything that might give her away. When she was finished, she turned to read her partner's parchment over his shoulder.

Just as Rabastan was about to tell his neighbor to mind her own business, the door knob turned and the door was pushed open, revealing a frazzled looking McGonagall. She walked to her desk, fuming. Strands of hair were falling out of her tight bun and her hat was sitting a little crooked on her head. The students could have sworn they heard her mutter something about Peeves and toilets under her breath as she gained composure. When finally she spun around and confronted the two last punished students, she found them silently bent over their parchments, carefully rereading their work.

xxxxx

"Finally…" Bellatrix sighed as soon as the door closed behind them and they set down the hallways, purposely walking towards the staircase that would lead them to their common rooms. "I thought she'd never let us leave. The stupid old banshee…"

Unexpectedly, Rabastan sneered at her.

"Who do you think you are blood traitor? Talking to me as if you were worthy?"

Bellatrix glanced at him, a frown settling down upon her brow.

"You can't be serious!" she exclaimed, sounding almost weary.

She was taking it surprisingly well. Usually, she would turn red with anger or simply send an irate glare at him but this time; she seemed composed, as if she had been expecting it and was only slightly disappointed that her expectation came true.

"Are you and Evan always going to be like this?" She sighed, running a hand through her tangled ebony hair.

"Like what?" Rabastan relied on a heavy coating of arrogance to cover up his unease.

"Like hypocrites."

He stared at her, silently warning her of pains she would soon endure if she went on speaking to him in that tone. Her answer was a simple shrug.

"No matter, I kind of expected it anyway." She murmured, as they finally reached the staircase, indicating the separation in their ways. One would be going down to the dimly lit dungeons of the castle while the other returned to the lion's den.

"Oh, and Lestrange?" She called out to him as she stopped on the first step.

"What?" He hissed, yearning to find the comfort that his common room provided.

"I'd re-read my essays thoroughly before handing them in if I were you. Gerry Lenard is rather proud of being a Hufflepuff. He mentions it quite a few times in his work."


	9. Change

******I'm so sorry you had to wait so long! I've been having so many problems with my computer and I wasn't able to update my fic because, for some odd reason, my computer simply wouldn't let me. But now, for no good reason, it's working again! Yay! So here's chapter 9. Hope it's worth the wait! Thanks to beta-reader xoxLewrahxox for all your help!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

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****_In a Lion's Den Chapter 9_**

_"True beauty is something that attacks, overpowers, robs, and finally destroys." - Yukio Mishima_

_Darkness captured the world of shimmering lights in its gentle embrace. It danced across their glittering eyes like a sunset on ocean's broad surface. The frosty night sky was like a sheet of glass tinted onyx, flecked with sparks of brilliant white light. The earth below it glowed a ghostly white, a pale sheet of snow skidding across the empty pavement of the manor. As if the burning stars were not enough, globes of golden light hung in the air around the country house welcoming the guests with their warm glow. Their radiance poured out onto the frozen ground, the tiny specks of snow dancing under it. _

_In the grand foyer, there was uproar of emerald flames. They burned vivaciously, figures stepped out of the hearth, swinging their luxurious coats off their shoulders and throwing them to the nearest elf. Trails of heavy perfumes and colognes led the way to the spotless ballroom, the endless polished floor reflecting the splendor of the assembly. __In its reflection, pale ghosts of silver glided across the space and oppressive figures stood close by__. Snowflakes fell from the ceiling, dissolving before they could come in contact with the highly held heads. Icicles clung to the grand chandelier which was made solely of enchanted ice; more stunning than the largest of diamonds. Its beauty was only enhanced by the flickering flames of the translucent candles sitting upon it. __Huge__ towering windows lined the walls, granting a pleasant view to the perfectly groomed garden crowned with a fresh blanket of snow. A band played delicate music; ideal for conversation. The guests grouped themselves and talked in delighted clear voices, discussing daily affairs with great interest. _

_The women were like marble statues, standing erect in their white and silver dresses. Jewels were dripping from their bodies, proudly displaying their wealth and stature. Their hair elegantly gleamed under the blazing light and their eyes were alight with the vivacity of the moment. The men stood proudly with their chests and chins held high, dressed smartly in black dress robes, playing the dark counterparts to the pale women. _

_Amongst the countless guests, three young girls stood in the shadows, excitedly glancing around the scene playing out before them. _

"_Oh I wish I could go dance!" The fairest sighed dreamingly, bringing her thumb to her mouth in an unconscious manner. _

"_Stop that!" The eldest snapped, hastily yanking the soft flesh out of her sister's mouth. "Mother told you not to suck your thumb. Do you want to look like a foolish __baby __in front of everyone?"_

_Narcissa scowled momentarily, only to receive Bellatrix's raised eyebrow. She surveyed the room and noticed: family, friends, political figures, minister employees and even the minister himself. Anybody who had some form of power was present at Black County Manor that night." _

"_Sorry…" Narcissa pouted, dropping her hand to her side in a defeated manner. _

"_Don't worry Cissy. Bella's excited that's all." Andromeda soothed, pulling a strand of golden hair out of her little sister's face and offering her a comforting smile. _

_Excitement was exactly what Bellatrix felt. Her heart was pounding so fast in her chest that she could barely concentrate on the world around her. It wasn't like it was her first Christmas party. It was customary that the children of the host, and only the host's children, remained present during the majority of the party, allowing the guests to evaluate them and conclude how well bred they were. It wasn't her first party yet it felt like every year, every ball brought her closer to pureblood society. On her sixteenth birthday she would be formally introduced to the world her parents reigned over and she would be allowed to meet people like herself, special people. Only six more years…_

_The three girls ran their wide eyes over the ensemble, stopping on their parents. They seemed so different to the girls in this glittering world of riches and power. They looked so happy. They smiled and laughed as they watched as Druella took hold of her husband's arm and allowed him to lead her to their next destination like some sort of subtle dance. Cygnus's booming laughter resounded around the room, warming his daughters' hearts and Druella's intelligent comments filled them with pride. They behaved so differently when they were at home. Cygnus was always locked in his office, yelling at one of his subordinates or working late at his office at the Ministry.. Druella, on her side, was always downing a glass of firewiskey in the sitting room or running off to a friend's house, anything to escape the dreary lifestyle of a __typical pureblooded house __wife. _

"_Bella!" _

_Cygnus was striding towards his favorite daughter with all the confidence in the world, holding a hand out to her. _

"_Come dance!"_

_It was tradition that the eldest daughter of the host's family would dance with their father. It was a clever method that allowed the guests to picture the girl in the arms of their son, deciding whether or not she was worthy. Of course, this was hardly necessary for the Black family. Anyone could tell that, although still young, Bellatrix Black would become a witch incomparable in beauty. Even if the Black daughter had been a troll in appearance, her blood was more than enough to convince parents that she was perfect. _

_Shooting a victorious glance at her two disappointed little sisters, Bellatrix took her father's hand and joined the dancers. She was a little short but Cygnus managed so that their dance would not appear gauche._

"_Enjoying yourself?" He asked, spinning her round. _

"_Very much." Bellatrix beamed. "I just wish some of the other children could come. It gets awfully boring when you are alone with your sisters the entire night."_

"_But then this room would turn into a playground." Cygnus chuckled. "Isn't Evan waiting upstairs for you?"_

"_He doesn't count!" The young girl rolled her eyes as if every adult should have known that. "I mean _other_ children. I never get to meet anyone my age."_

_Cygnus gave his daughter a brief disproving look, half-mocking half-serious. _

"_Don't you go complaining again, Bella. You'll make plenty of friends next year. You'll have to keep them guessing who you are until then."_

_Bella rolled her eyes and let out a dramatic sigh. _

"_Tell you what." The tall man confided in a low voice. "Next year, I'll have Lestrange bring his son, Rodolphus, to keep you company. He's very polite that one. I'm sure you'll enjoy his company."_

"_Promise?" Bellatrix gleaming eyes grew wide with excitement at the prospect of meeting another young pureblood. _

"_Promise."_

xxxxxxx

Snow fell heavily, seemingly out of nowhere. Each flake, heavy and humid, settled upon the rooftop of the desolate castle on a gloomy grey-skied day. Nothing moved outside the castle walls. The Whomping Willow was folded under its branches, sleeping heavily. Not a creature stirred in the Forbidden Forest and the Quidditch field lay gloomily on its own, the six large hoops towering over the land like disproving lords and ladies watching over their dying land.

Hogwarts itself was hardly any cheerier. The empty hallways seemed to press down on the few inhabitants, suffocating them. The Christmas decorations hung lifelessly in every room and corridor, constantly reminding the few remaining students of what time of the year it was. In the common rooms, glowing fires crackled silently, unable to bring warmth to those who had frost encrusted souls. The stone floors chilled the students' feet to the bone, until they felt numb. People grouped together and spoke in low voices for no particular reason other than the immense emptiness of the castle suppressed their voices. All in all, it was one miserable winter day for Bellatrix Black. With only one day to go before Christmas Eve, she was finding exceedingly hard to get out of bed and go eat her daily meals. Her days were filled with nothingness. If she wasn't lying motionlessly in her bed, hiding underneath the warm covers, she was sitting curled up on the window sill, pressing her cheek against the icy glass and watching her breath cling to the windowpane. Other than a seventh year couple who spent every waking hour snogging, she was the only living being occupying the Gryffindor tower. Strangely enough, the thought of finally being alone failed to cheer her up. She felt miserable beyond belief.

On that particular depressing evening, Bellatrix lay on her back on the hard floor, up in the first year Gryffindor girl's room. Eyes staring off into space, she loosely held a piece of parchment in a relaxed hand.

_Bellatrix, _

_As you well know, the grand Black ball will soon be underway. As if happens, your reputation has been in rapid decline since September. Under the current circumstances, it has been decided that you are to remain at Hogwarts for the Christmas season while we attempt to repair the damage that you have done. Be grateful that your family are trying to save the reputation you so carelessly threw away. _

_Your Mother,_

_Druella Black _

Large salty tears seeped from the corner of her eyes and ran down her cheeks, settling in the crooks of her mouth. She couldn't be bothered to wipe them away.

Ghost-like images flashed before her eyes; beautiful women and handsome men, dancing green flames, gleaming icicles, pure white snowflakes and sounds of laughter and kind smiles. This Christmas she would be alone.

It wasn't as though vicious gossip was what was keeping her from returning home. If her parents really wanted to see her, she could have returned and remained at home, away from society. It was them who didn't want to see her. They were exasperated with her rebellious actions and couldn't bother to put up with her and what was worse was that her sisters didn't seem to mind. They would at the thought of finally getting the attention for once in their miserable lives. Bellatrix could picture Andromeda smiling victoriously as she danced with her father, not a single fleeting thought of her older sister crossing her mind. The thought filled her with rage.

Hands curling into fists, the letter crumpled between her fingers. Bellatrix couldn't care less. Possessed with the sudden need to destroy, the witch struggled to her feet, stumbling as dizziness momentarily fogged her mind.

"Damn them…" She muttered, burning eyes flickering across the dimly lit room in search of something – _anything_ – that might make them pay for betraying her.

Her eye fell on a mirror sitting on Giselle's side table. Approaching it slowly, her reflection appeared before her in all its blazing might. She was hardly the girl she was a year ago. Her face was pale, yellow bags shadowing her crazed bloodshot eyes like a freshly buried corpse brought back to life. The only color aside from her eyes came from her swollen pink cheeks, stained with the abundant tears spilled that day. Her thick tumultuous hair cascaded down her shoulders; a shock of black in her otherwise ghostly complexion. The sight of her hair renewed her anger, intensified it. It reminded her of her mother's constant nagging, complaining that her hair was never tame enough, never like her sisters'. It brought back thoughts of what it meant to be a daughter of the House of Black; all the women with long lustrous hair as if anything else was far from acceptable.

Without thinking, Bellatrix tore her wand out of her pocket and brought it to a first lock of hair. She snarled: "Diffindo", a satisfied feeling purring in her throat as the wand ripped its way through the ebony curl. It tumbled down her shoulder in one neat cut. Watching it fall, Bellatrix was suddenly possessed with a burning feeling of contentment. The suffocating weight on her chest lifted slightly but still too much for her trembling shoulders.

A savage grin spreading on her face, Bellatrix raised the wand to her hair once more…

xxxxxxx

The castle felt so different with the absence of the students but it was not altogether unpleasant. There was a sort of freedom drifting in the air, a sort of peace and carelessness that did not exist. When the hallways were crowded, Alice could go wherever she wanted without being watched. It was a bitter sweet feeling; loneliness, but it wasn't a foreign one. Sometimes it was unpleasant and sometimes it wasn't as it all depended on her current state. She supposed it was like that for everybody, but that did not matter. What mattered was that Alice did not have the choice this time as she was alone whether she wanted it or not.

She climbed through the hole hidden behind the portrait, remembering that only two days ago she had been clambering out, shouting her goodbyes and Merry Christmases over her shoulder. Everything felt so familiar yet so different all at once. There was almost an exciting taste to the situation. There was a possibility of rediscovering the castle under different circumstances, with a thoughtful, clear mind. All by herself…

Looking forward to thinking things over in her bedroom, Alice made her way up the girl's staircase without throwing a single glance at the empty common room. Oddly enough, the door to her room stood ajar, candlelight pouring out through the crack.

Alice frowned. _That's strange…_

Placing the palm of her hand against the solid door, she pushed it gently, popping her head inside. A scream caught in her throat as her eyes landed on a figure sitting with its back facing the door, a terribly uneven mane matted black hair hanging from its still head. Countless locks of the same colored hair littered the floor around it.

For a brief moment, Alice mind worked furiously as she took in the picture, unable to breathe for fear of betraying her presence. Only when she noticed the familiar wand resting on Giselle's bedside table, right next to the motionless figure, did she realize who the person was.

"Bella?"

There came as stifled sob and the slender shoulders trembled. Heart still beating frantically and worried out of her mind, Alice crept into the room and went to sit on the end of Giselle's bed, taking in the Bellatrix's pitiful state. Her face was blotched red and damp, tears still seeping out from behind two tightly shut eyelids.

"Go away Alice." She hissed, brushing away the tears hastily.

"What did you do?" Alice asked in what she hoped was a soothing tone.

Bellatrix's eyes shot open and glared at Alice's reflection in the mirror before her, wiping away the lingering tears with the sleeve of her robe.

"Nothing…I did nothing. My hair…it needed a cut."

Alice smiled, pleased to see the witch returning to her usual glare and firmly set jaw. A crying Bellatrix meant an utterly defeated Bellatrix which was something Alice never hoped to see.

"Well you did a lousy job Bella." She chuckled, pulling out her own wand from her jeans pocket. "I'll fix it if you'd like."

The dark-haired witch turned to give her a cautious look, eyes traveling between the wand held firmly in her hand and her caring blue eyes.

"No questions asked." Alice assured her. "Just your trusty hairdresser."

With one careful nod and a quick brush of her sleeve across her watery eyes, Bellatrix turned and faced the mirror once more as her Gryffindor companion got to work.

xxxxxxx

"There. Perfection in person."

Bellatrix leaned forward to get a better look at her reflection. Nothing remained of that mess of a witch that had once been sitting before the mirror, except for a faint pink glow to her cheeks and a shorter cascade of ebony hair. Where her hair once fell to her shoulder blades, it now sat on her shoulder in a pleasant clean cut. Bellatrix hated to think of what her mother would do if she saw her daughter's new haircut. She suspected with a faint smile that it would be something near to official disownment. To be honest, Bellatrix could not have cared less. She felt different as if a weight was lifted off her shoulders other than that of her black curls. There was something about such a simple, yet rebellious act that had made her feel free of all expectations, it made her thirsty for more.

"I suppose you did an alright job." Bellatrix said, wrapping a particularly perfect curl around her finger.

Alice laughed.

"So are you going to tell me what this was all about now?"

"I thought you said there would be no questions asked."

" I deserve some sort of payment, that wasn't an easy job you know." Alice teased.

Bellatrix let out an exasperated sigh and gestured to crumpled letter lying amongst the locks of black hair. Everyone would know anyway, once the Slytherins and other pureblooded children returned to school, bearing the scandalous gossip that had been passed along to them by their parents, concerning a ball and a missing Black.

She waited, swallowing the feeling of unease as she heard the parchment be spread out on the floor.

"I'm sorry Bella." Alice murmured at last, having finished the curt letter. "That wasn't fair."

Bellatrix stood and stared at her passively, refusing to fall prey to those soft blue eyes yet emptied of all her anger and hate. She couldn't muster the strength for one single sneer.

"It doesn't matter. Those balls were boring anyways."

Although obviously unconvinced, Alice nodded all the same and stood back up, handing the heavily wrinkled letter to its owner.

"If it makes you feel any better my parents don't want me home either." Alice confided, going to sit at the end of her bed, lightly swinging her legs off the back.

Bellatrix couldn't hide her surprise as she sat on her own bed, directly across from her fellow Gryffindor. Precious Alice? Not wanted? That wasn't possible.

"It's true." She went on, noticing the look of disbelief. "My parents…they're always busy. They always have a million and one things to do. They say it's for me that they work so hard; to give me a secure life." She grimaced, staring at the floor with a faraway look. "But the truth is that they cannot bear to be a _family_. They can't bear to be together for more than a second at a time. They'll do anything to get away, even if it means going off on business trips during my Christmas break. Dad got a message yesterday, offering him to go to Germany to deal with an emergency instead of some minister official who's on vacation. The second he told us, mum went out of her way to find her own escape. She's gone to Switzerland to take visit a family member, meaning that I'll have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas."

The girl smiled, looking up to meet Bellatrix's solemn expression head on. Surprisingly to the Black, Alice did not seem upset about the matter. There was (What about removing: only a hint of sadness lay in those dark blue eyes of hers. Other than that, she was same old, perfect Alice Thompson.

"Like you said: "It doesn't matter." No use feeling sorry for oneself right?" She grinned, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her thighs.

"You know something Bella…" She went on. "I really like you because you never quit. You're always kicking and screaming. When I sometimes feel like I won't be able to get out of bed and make it through the day – yes I have those days too – I think of your sharp mouth and flaming glare. Weird right?"

For the first time since the Sorting, Bella found herself speechless; she simply swallowed hard and nodded, pressing her chapped lips together.

"We'll both come out better." Alice affirmed confidently. "But you'll probably come out stronger than I. I daresay you've got it worse. All I know is that when I have children of my own, I'll never leave them. Not work nor disease nor death will tear _my_ family apart. My children will know their parents."

There was such confidence in her tone that Bellatrix couldn't help _but_ believe her no matter how hard she tried not to. Feeling unsettlingly venerable, she could only think of one thing to say.

"You better not name one after me."


	10. The Restricted Section

_Hello people. So today I was going through some old documents and I realized I never posted chapter 10. I have no idea how it slipped my mind...seriously it's been sitting in my files for months now. So sorry for about that. Hope you enjoy it :) _

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Chapter 10

_The night sky was vast, empty. The countless stars that were up there (somewhere) hid under a blanket of city lights, artificial and cold. Snow-filled wind swept along the stretch of little town houses, scattering icy dry powder across the glowing windows, unable to reach the warmth within. _

_Dense, suffocating silence pressing in from every corner; there was nothing to do about it. Like an incurable disease, thinking about the pain could only make it worse. Silence was a disease that crept up without evident symptoms. But silence had never crept up on them. It had always been there. It had no beginning (and no end). Now they were so submerged in it that it was almost welcomed. Who wanted to think about a disease? Who wanted confront reality?_

_(Not them) _

_The house was colorless, lacking of personality. There were portraits and paintings on the walls but they lacked originality, familiarity. The photos hanging on the walls and sitting on shelves were too perfect, almost as if they had been taken to be placed in store frames; images of happy (soulless) families who were made up of actors who had only just met minutes ago. The walls were narrow, without color or life. If walls could talk…what story would they tell? What would they say? _

_(Nothing)_

_Three lone figures sat around a long clean polished table, a plate sitting before each of them. The man was tall and thin. His thick glasses caught the image of his wife and daughter, the glow of the candles, the steam rising from the food, the glimmer of the polished utensils, and reflected them before they had a chance to catch his attention. The woman was short and frail, lips pinched into a resolute silence. They hardly seemed to open even as she brought the fork to her mouth. She chewed in perfect silence, eyes traveling aimlessly around the room as if she were examining someone else's house. They ate quickly, methodically. They didn't want to sit there. They didn't want to be there. They didn't want to be together._

_(But she did) _

_At the center of this family portrait sat a small girl, silently shoveling potatoes into her mouth as her gaze flitted from one face to another, pleased to be in their company. She was dressed nicely, wearing a pretty blue dress and a matching necklace she had received last Christmas. But she had to be honest with herself; nobody would have cared had she come wearing her pajamas. It was only Christmas dinner after all; the only difference was the nice ("expensive" her father would say) dinner – and the presence of her parents. _

"_Next year you'll be spending Christmas at Hogwarts, won't you Alice?" Her father asked mildly without tearing his eyes from his plate._

_It was a conversation starter. He might as well have mentioned the weather or their favorite Quidditch team. Hogwarts was but a mere topic for them…like Christmas…like family. _

_Alice swallowed hard and smiled. She did not care if his interest was genuine or not. She did not dig deep into her own thoughts. She did not attempt to read unmasked emotions in their eyes. It felt so much more real that way; just believing that they really wanted to be there, that they really wanted to be her parents. _

"_No" She dropped her fork and prepared to make the most of the words that would be thrown at her shortly. She could gather them up after supper, alone in her room, and store them away for other days. "Marlene told me we can go home during Christmas vacation. That's what everybody does."_

_There was short silence during which her father processed her answer. And then his hand hovered over his plate. Hesitant…_

"_But you're not obliged to leave the school?"_

_Alice dropped her eyes back to her plate, smile never wavering. 'Pretend Alice…you're good at that…'_

"_No we don't have to."_

xxx

Many strange things had occurred in Hogwarts over the numerous years but Rabastan couldn't think of anything stranger than Bellatrix sitting at the Gryffindor table, having a civil conversation with Alice Thompson. Yes that's right: Bellatrix and Alice were _talking_.

Rabastan actually froze in the doorway of the Great Hall when he had spotted them. Obviously Bellatrix hadn't seen him or he doubted that the ostracized witch would be so willing to publicly display her connection to Alice. As he stood there, he couldn't help but notice that something was different about Bellatrix. Her hair, which had once fell down her back in a fury of wild black curls, now sat one her shoulders in a surprisingly attractive new cut. Her face had changed as well. Her cheeks, always so pale and unhealthy looking, glowed pink and her eyes were lit up with a foreign gleam that might have been associated with happiness. She actually looked contented.

As for Alice, Rabastan couldn't see her face from the entrance but he guessed from experience that she was smiling. Typical Alice; always determined to show how perfect and happy she was compared to everyone else. He could only think of the sort of things she must have made up to get Bellatrix to spend time with her. Those damned "nouveau sang", as Rabastan's parents and their friends liked to call them, were always trying to associate themselves with the ancient pureblooded families. And Bellatrix, so desperate to have friends, had obviously eaten the lies up.

'_Stupid girl…' _Rabastan sighed, deciding that it would be up to him to save the witch once more from her ignorance. It really was no wonder she had been placed in Gryffindor.

He strolled over to the girls with that casual air of his. He tucked his hands into his robe pockets and stuck out his disappointingly skinny chest, copying that air of confidence his brother always used when he wanted to inspire respect.

The second those intimidating onyx eyes rose to meet his, Bellatrix instantly stiffened and shut her mouth tightly in mid-sentence. Feeling something amiss, Alice glanced around, quickly spotting the object of her companion's attention. They both waited in silence as Rabastan crossed the remaining distance and stopped right in front of the Gryffindor table, wrinkling his nose in disgust as his eyes traveled over Alice's intrigued expression.

"What are you doing here, Lestrange?" Alice asked, brow creased and head slightly cocked to one side.

"I might ask you the same question." Rabastan turned to Bellatrix, ignoring Alice altogether. The pureblooded witch was also frowning, eyes carefully calculating the situation like a fox deciding whether the hunter had left or not.

"She's having dinner can't you tell?"

"Yes I can. The problem is she's having it with _you_."

The Gryffindor laughed.

"Why does that bother you? _Jealous_?"

Rabastan reeled around, glaring at his enemy.

"You better shut your mouth if you know what's good-"

"You know…I can speak for myself."

Rabastan and Alice simultaneously turned towards Bellatrix, their mouths hanging open. The witch stared back at them, surprisingly fearless in the face of the cruel Slytherin. While Alice stared at her companion expectantly, Rabastan glared at her, already irritated.

Bellatrix stared at them for a brief moment, wondering what to say and how to say it. She didn't exactly know _what_ to say. She didn't even remember what they were fighting about. She was simply curious as to why they were fighting over her. Didn't Rabastan hate her? Or had he finally seen the error of his ways and decided to apologize? Surely that must have been it because his eyes didn't seem as sharp as cold as they had on their last meeting

"Just say why you're here, Rabastan." Bellatrix said at last.

"And then get out of here." Alice added under her breath, dropping her gaze to the plate in front of her.

Rabastan sniffed and pointedly ignored Alice's comment. "A Black shouldn't be fraternizing with someone like Thompson…even if you _are_ a Gryffindor."

Bellatrix cocked her head and frowned, opening her mouth to question his odd behavior when he hurried to further explain.

"What I mean is that hanging out with someone like her will only make her feel self-important…and we _definitely_ don't need that. I'm not going to suffer you're stupid mistakes."

Alice shot out of her chair, outraged, but made no move for her wand. Picking a fight was much more manageable in a crowded area where everyone had a wand and a willingness to play an innocent prank or do harm to another. The fact that they were the only people in the Great Hall made it far too risky to perform magic without a teacher catching them.

So Alice simply stood for a moment, glaring at her Slytherin opponent with bawled fists and a wrinkled nose. But when she noticed the Charms teacher seating himself down at the teacher's table, she followed his example and sat down once more.

"Leave my family out of this, Lestrange." She said. "What's the real reason you're here? What do you want from us?"

"I'm not here for _you_." Rabastan sneered at her.

He glanced around swiftly, his dark eyes running over the empty Slytherin table before looking back at the peculiar raven-haired witch with a smirk. He sat down next to Alice and bent forward to confide to Bellatrix in a low voice.

"There's something I want to get from the library…in the _restricted section_." He said carefully stretched the last words.

Bellatrix said nothing but stared at him with careful calculating eyes. There was a newfound caution in those endless black pits that had not been there before. It fascinated Rabastan just as much as it troubled him. Like it or not, Bellatrix had never been all that careful. Anyone would come to the same conclusion had they really paid attention. She built up all her naive hopes and dreams based on what others told her and remained painfully stubborn even when the world around her was proving the contrary. And in a strange unlike Black way, Bellatrix placed her trust in people before she even knew who they truly were. Rabastan knew. In some ways, they were the same.

But something had changed in Bellatrix. Rabastan couldn't quite put his finger on it but he knew she had reached her limit. Somewhere between the starting of Christmas vacation and now, she had finally accepted the overwhelming feeling of betrayal burning in the back of her mind.

Rabastan waited but still she did not say anything.

"So…" He sighed, leaning back and stretching his arms over his head. "If you're not a coward, you'll come too."

"Why would she? What will she get out of going with you?" Alice frowned. "You'll just betray her like your lot always does."

"Like you have any idea what "our lot" are like." Rabastan snapped, once again attacking Alice the moment she spoke.

Alice laughed. "Oh I've had plenty of occasions to see what you're like."

Bellatrix watched this exchange in silence, her black eyes riveting between the opponents with careful caution. It hardly showed to anyone around, but Bellatrix's heart was pounding at a frightening speed against her ribcage.

So this was it. This was what it was like to feel limitless. It was…terrifying. To feel like the choice was truly hers. There was nobody behind her, slipping a yoke into place and holding fast to the reigns as she fought against the bondage. It didn't feel like she was sinking without knowing what was weighing her down. For once she saw clearly.

She saw Rabastan Lestrange in his carefully tailored Slytherin robes, a green badge gleaming like cool silver under the early morning light. His eyes too, were cool. They glittered faintly with untapped potential and intelligence. In some ways, they reminded her own before she had woken up from her carefully weaved illusion and realized that she had been betrayed. They were controlled; a well-bred expression of superiority and confidence that would make any simpleton shiver. In other ways, they were nothing like hers. Never, even in the previous months, had Bellatrix reduced herself to the point where she felt nothing. She had felt anger and anguish to the point where she thought she might die from it all; but never nothing. Passion was what Bellatrix thrived on. From her earliest memories to the present moment, she had always felt that familiar hunger, whether for someone, some dream, some power. But never _nothing_.

Rabastan felt nothing for everything. She could see it plainly. There was nothing that made his heart beat with the same fierceness Bellatrix's did. There was nothing that could make him want to fight on his own accord. Perhaps there truly was nothing worth feeling for. Perhaps Rabastan already had everything. Or perhaps he was too afraid to allow himself to feel. Perhaps he was so terrified his subconscious was telling him he felt nothing.

She then turned to Alice and saw the young witch dressed in creased Gryffindor robes, the blazing red and gold symbol of her house shining brightly against the black sea of fabric. Her eyes, if possible, were brighter. They burned fiercely with brashness and life to the point where it was almost irritating to look at. Again, Bellatrix recognized similar traits between their looks. She saw the fire that lit up the black pupils and the desperate need to be recognized. She saw that determination to succeed in what mattered most to her. But again, Bellatrix was (thankfully) able to find differences between them as well. Bellatrix, unlike Alice, was the product of a long running line of pureblood unions. Now of course that meant enhanced magical potential but it also meant the proper breeding that came with the title. To be a pureblood meant to be never a peace, always hungry, always calculating.

Alice was constantly trusting, naïve and content with the majority of her life. She took each day as it came and was never prepared for if (when) disaster struck. It was almost as if she was willingly turning a blind eye on the evils of this world, something Bellatrix could never do, not when the world was waiting to see her fail. Alice did not notice the threats that lurked around every corner. She trusted her friends blindly, just as she was now trusting Bellatrix. It almost made the young Black laugh at the thought; Alice was placing herself in Bellatrix's hands…

Bellatrix looked upon both of them, eyes flickering from on to the other. The fight raged on between them, like flying daggers narrowly missing their marks. A warm feeling seeped into every pore in her body as she thought of her situation. It was a strange feeling but not one foreign to her, simply dearly missed. There was strength in her body. She felt power as she thought of their weaknesses. Rabastan's lack of passion and Alice's foolish naivety…

Now all she had to do was decide how she could make the most of this situation. Who would help her achieve her goals? Almost the moment she pondered that question did she have the answer. It was as clear to her as her own reflection in their wide glossy eyes.

Finally, Bellatrix spoke.

"Alice, stop nagging as if you know everything." She sighed, leaning back in her chair and bracing herself to look at Alice's expression. "If I want to go do something worthwhile of my time, I will. Stop trying to turn me into one of your kind."

She then turned to look at Rabastan quickly before she could catch sight of the horrified look in Alice's large blue eyes. "I'm coming with you to the Library. I was bored anyways."

Rabastan smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, also leaning back in his chair as if he had expected this outcome since the beginning.

"Like you'd dare refuse." He said.

"Bellatrix what are you talking about?" Alice leaned forward and spoke in a low hiss. "Rabastan's not your friend! He's been treating you horribly ever since you've joined our House."

"Let it be, Thompson." Rabastan let out an exaggerated sigh, already standing to leave.

"Shut it, Lestrange!" Alice turned on Rabastan once more, her voice, if possible, containing more venom than before. "You're nothing but a filthy hypocrite! There's no way Bellatrix will go with you-"

"Whatever gave you the idea that you had the right to vouch for me? We're not friends so stop fooling yourself."

Alice mouth froze in mid-sentence and she turned to look at Bellatrix, blue eyes swimming with shock and hurt. And then, slowly, her expression of helplessness melted away. Her eyes narrowed, her mouth pulled into a thin line and she stood.

"Fine I'm tired of trying anyways." She hissed, glancing down at the witch before looking at her Slytherin companion with distaste. "You're just as bad as the rest of them."

xxxx

"You're sure you know what you're doing, Lestrange?" Bellatrix hissed for the fifth time, popping her head around the edge of the shelf.

The pair of mischief-seeking children hid in the library as the ancient, fowl-smelling librarian prowled the book-filled room, almost as if she could instinctively smell trouble-in-the-making. They crouched low behind a bookshelf, creeping around on the balls of their feet in an awkward sort of manner.

Rabastan was quick to shush her, also peering through the cracks between the volumes in order to catch brief glimpses of the woman. His brow was furrowed in concentration and his eyes were narrowed in thought. He had resumed gnawing at the inner flesh of his lip, an action that inexplicably irritated Bellatrix.

They had made it successfully into the library without its guardian catching sight of either one of them. Making it into the restricted section wouldn't be as easy. The large doors blocking students from countless dark secrets and dangerous knowledge were conveniently positioned near the librarian's desk. There was no way they could reach them without some sort of disruption distracting the old woman for a minute or two.

"Okay…" Rabastan whispered, turning his head briefly to look the witch at his side. "Here's the plan. You're going to distract the old squib long enough for me to get through those doors. Make lots of noise in the opposite direction or rip a page or something."

"_What_? That's your plan? How am _I_ going to get into the Restricted section?"

Rabastan sighed, a little loudly, and ducked his head as two piercing eyes shot a quizzical look in their direction.

"You're not, obviously. I'll grab the book and bring it out so that you can have a look when I'm done."

Bellatrix's eyes blazed.

"There is no bloody way I'm doing that. Why don't you distract her and I'll go inside. I've never seen the Restricted Section anyways. I want to see what it's like."

"I came up with idea, Black. Anyways I want to see what it's like too."

Bellatrix gawked at him.

"You mean you haven't even been in the Restricted section? But you told me in detention that you have!"

The sound of footsteps instantly silenced the two purebloods, both crouching lower as the librarian made her round of the library for the second time in ten minutes. Bellatrix decided that she desperately needed to find herself a hobby. As the old woman drew closer, they stood silently and pressed their backs to the side of the shelf furthest from her, and waited until she returned to her seat.

"I did but I never got very far." Rabastan continued in a hush tone as they crouched back down. "I never got the chance to explore it properly. But my brother says it's worth looking into. He's been in the Restricted Section. Professor Slughorn lets him do whatever he likes…besides I want to find my book."

Bellatrix simply gave him another harsh look, irritated with the way things had turned out. There they were, huddled low with a filthy old squib keeping them from their goal. Why hadn't they thought out a proper plan before embarking on this preposterous mission?

Bellatrix could picture Alice in the back of her mind, laughing and saying: "I told you so." She cringed. There was no way she was not getting through those doors.

"Alright." She murmured. "I have a plan. It may not be a very good one. It may be a little risky but…it's the only one we've got so I don't want to hear one word from you."

Rabastan instantly straightened and narrowed his eyes, preparing to contradict her. But Bellatrix was quick to continue so that he couldn't interrupt her without raising his voice and alerting the librarian.

"You see that boy studying over there? Well he's going to cause the distraction for us. Don't look like that! It's simple! We just have to use a simple levitation spell, that's all. The moment she leaves her desk, we hurry to the door. Got it?"

Rabastan nodded, glancing nervously at the library's guardian.

Bellatrix pulled out her wand from her robes pocket, holding it carefully in her hand for a moment as if she were afraid the sudden presence of the magical tool would draw the librarian to them. But after a moment of total silence, nothing had happened and the young witch felt slightly more confident about her plan.

She turned on her heels so that she could get a better view of the older Ravenclaw who was poured over a spell book further to the back of the library. Mentally going over the steps, Bellatrix narrowed her eyes in concentration.

"Wingardium Leviosa." She murmured, ending the spell with a sharp flick of her wand.

She immediately felt a subtle tension in her wand as it took an invisible hold on the first book to catch her attention. She nearly let a laugh escape her mouth as she sent the book flying off the Ravenclaw's desk and onto the floor with a loud thump. That alone would have been enough to have the librarian red with furry but Bellatrix decided that it couldn't hurt to take extra precautions. She swiftly began targeting every book on the shelf behind the boy, pulling them off their perch and letting gravity do the rest.

Bellatrix and Rabastan sprinted for the restricted section the moment the librarian brushed past them, her eyes fixed on the boy gapping incredulously at the pile of books lying on the floor. All they heard was her hysteric screeches and the student's desperate pleas as they shut the door behind them. The poor Ravenclaw never stood a chance.

xxx

The restricted section, at first glance, was like the other half of the library. Shelves upon shelves of ancient books were sitting, waiting to be discovered. Some of them were so old that even the librarian could not save them from a slow death; jackets slowly falling apart, pages hanging dangerously from the binding, dust accumulating on the ominous titles. But when one looked closely one could easily tell that this was no ordinary library. Titles promising horrendous dark secrets whispered to them from every shelf and Bellatrix felt the irresistible pull of their promises. More than once did she stop to inspect a book more closely, ignoring Rabastan's impatient complaints.

As they made their way through the dark room, Bellatrix could feel her heart pound with increasing strength in her chest, almost like the strong steady beat of a war drum drawing closer with every step. All the untouched magic…the potential hidden between those decaying pages! It hurt her to think that none of these books would find an owner worthy of their content.

Once again a deep burning hate churned in her stomach as the thought of how Dumbledore was keeping all those books locked up and hidden from the students, almost as if he wished them to remain ignorant for their entire lives.

Now Bellatrix realized that she had past some unspoken test, she hadn't given in and ignored the pull of knowledge and power even though the world around her had tried to keep it from her. And she would employ it to her own benefit.

"Here it is."

Bellatrix looked behind her at the frozen figure of Rabastan Lestrange, a large volume in hand. He was scanning through the pages, his look of exasperation and ennui suddenly replaced with an intent stare that reminded Bellatrix of his older brother.

As Rabastan drew closer to the center of the book, he slowed down, carefully reading the title of certain pages before flicking the page. At last, he came to a full stop.

"What is it?" Bellatrix asked in a low voice, drawing up behind him and peering over his shoulder at the page that had caught his attention. A single word written in elegant calligraphy struck her attention: _Occlumency_.

"Occlumency? That's what you're going to study Lestrange? Why on earth would you need that?"

Rabastan, pulled from his silent pondering, snapped the book shut so that the title gleamed golden under the soft candle light: "_Practical Spells for the Great and Powerful, Vol. I"_

Bellatrix froze for only a fraction of a second, her heart twisting into a knot at the sight of the promising title. Jealousy bubbled in her chest like some great leviathan clawing to be freed. The great and powerful… That was meant to be her dream. Rabastan had no right dreaming the same dreams. He shouldn't be allowed to believe that he could beat her in anything. Even if he was a Slytherin and she a-

"The Great and Powerful?" Bellatrix laughed scornfully, ceasing the book from Rabastan's grasp. "You're a _powerful_ wizard?"

"More powerful than you'll ever be, filthy Gryffindor scum." Rabastan spat as he yanked the book out of her hands. But she was quick to hold on to the end once more before it was out of her reach. And now both students held part of the book, glaring at each other. Both were unwilling to let go.

And then, like the ominous calling of a crow in a blood-red dawn, Bellatrix began to cackle, almost as if she knew something Rabastan did not. The Slytherin could not keep his skin from tingling at the sound of that strange laughter.

"Fine." She snarled, pushing back the book harshly and slamming it into Rabastan's chest. "Learn you're pretty little magic trick if you like. Too bad magic such as Occlumency will be associated with the likes of _you_ or I might have studied it myself. But as it happens, _I_ do not follow the ideas of others. I'll just have to find my own powerful magic to obtain, something that can be used for other uses than simply defence."

"Oh like what?" Rabastan sneered, wrapping his arms around the book and holding it to his chest in an almost protective manner. "All you know is petty 1st year magic because no one, not even your family, bothers to teach you more. The fact that you're in Gryffindor simply seals your fate. There's no bright future for the likes of _you_. Why waster energy when you will never achieve greatness?"

Bellatrix laughed again, the sound was tainted with scorn and her eyes blazed with hate.

"I don't need others to teach me things I can learn on my own."

She turned towards the bookshelf and yanked out the book that had been sitting peacefully next to Rabastan's: "_Practical Spells for the Great and Powerful, Vol. 2"_

"Just wait, I'll learn an amazing spell that you could never dream of mastering."

Bellatrix looked down at the heavy bounded book and knew she was on the right track to recognition.

xxx

Bellatrix lay in bed, a warm woolen blanket pulled up to her chest. Her body was slowly being pulled into a living sense of peace as the heat and comfort of her bed worked its magic. Her mind, on the other hand, was hard at work, buzzing ceaselessly with hundreds of thoughts.

Oddly enough, her fight with Rabastan did not bother her in the way it would have a couple months ago. She could hardly say that she was angry with him nor was she angry with herself for expanding the space between her and her rightful house. Somehow she was beginning to understand that the more noise she made – the more present she was, the more they would think of her and come to fear her.

Alice had thought her that. Alice who would not let and insisted on being constantly kind to the brooding Gryffindor, was the same Alice Bellatrix found herself thinking of as she entered the Common Room, the same Alice she looked for as she entered their bedroom. And as much as it infuriated her, she couldn't help but feel that Rabastan, Evan and soon the others would think of her looming shadow, they would come to accept her as one of their own.

"No...no...pathetic...how is that even _practical_?"

But to be accepted as someone worth paying attention, she had to first prove herself. Nothing like some ancient dark magic to do the trick…

But, she skimmed through the book; her newfound excitement was slowly disintegrating into the cold winter air. Most of the spells found within the pages of this book were nowhere near as amazing as Rabastan's. She couldn't beat him with such simple magic. But the ones that made Bellatrix's skin tingle with fear and fascination were impossible without Dumbledore or a teacher noticing. She doubted the Headmaster wouldn't start asking questions if one of the students mysteriously lost a limb.

And then, as she was just about to shut the book, an image caught her eye and the exasperated sigh froze in her throat.

"That's it." She murmured, eyes scanning the title and leaning forward. "That's what I'll learn..."

Small images, printed in old black and white, danced across the pages, inspiring Bellatrix and filling her dreams. At the foot of the first page, three tiny men chased another one, wands in hand. As the hunted man reached the other side of the page, cornered against the page number (258), he began to change, slowly growing in size with hair sprouting from his arms and face. The clothes ripped under the strain and he burst free from the fabric. And before the attackers knew what had happened, a great black bear was slashing at them with its mighty claws.

Another image showed a witch being tied to a pyre by an angry mob. They brandished crude weapons and torches in their hands as they watched the witch standing passively. One man brought a torch to the stack of wood on which the witch was standing on and lit the wood, setting the whole on fire. The flames slowly began climbing the stack, drawing closer to the witch, almost shielding her from the mob's eyes. And then suddenly a great black crow sprang forth from the flames and flew up high into the sky. The mob turned to watched it disappear on the horizon. Only when they looked back at the flaming pyre did they realize the witch was gone.

"Animagi…"


End file.
